(NewsNation) — An antidepressant drug that was touted as a cheap treatment now shows no effects for patients with COVID-19, according to a new study.
In 2021, multiple reports came out suggesting that the pill, called fluvoxamine, reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19.
Researchers tested the pill used for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder because it was known to reduce inflammation and looked promising in smaller studies. Now, a JAMA Network study reports it does not shorten the duration of symptoms in adults with mild to moderate COVID-19.
The clinical trial sought to determine whether a 100 mg dosage of fluvoxamine, taken twice daily for 13 days, could reduce the duration of symptoms in outpatient adults (aged 30 or over) with mild to moderate COVID-19 when compared to a placebo.
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The trial, which included 1,175 participants enrolled when omicron COVID-19 subvariants were prevalent, found no significant difference in the time to sustained recovery between the fluvoxamine group and the placebo group.
Fluvoxamine as a treatment was a positive development during the pandemic due to its low cost. It would cost $4 for a course of COVID-19 treatment. By comparison, antibody IV treatments cost about $2,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
