Efficacy of combined Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with pneumonia: a multicenter Egyptian study.

El-Bendary, Mahmoud; Abd-Elsalam, Sherief; Elbaz, Tamer; El-Akel, Wafaa; Cordie, Ahmed; Elhadidy, Tamer; Elalfy, Hatem; Farid, Khaled; Elegezy, Mohamed; El-Badrawy, Adel; Neamatallah, Mustafa; Abd Elghafar, Mohamed; Salama, Marwa; AbdAllah, Mohamed; Essam, Mahmoud; El-Shazly, Mostafa; Esmat, Gamal

BACKGROUND Limited experimental and clinical evidence suggests a potential role for sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in treating COVID19. we aim to evaluate the efficacy of generic sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in treating COVID-19 patients with pneumonia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This multicenter prospective study involved 174 patients with COVID-19. Patients were randomized into two groups. Group A (96 patients) received sofosbuvir (400 mg)/ daclatasvir (60 mg) for 14 days in combination with conventional therapy. Group B (78 patients) received conventional therapy alone. Clinical, laboratory and radiological data were collected at baseline, after 7, 14 and 28 days of therapy. Primary endpoint was rate of clinical/virological cure. RESULTS A lower mortality rate was observed in group (A) (14% vs 21%, P = 0.07). After one month of therapy, no differences were found in rates of ICU admission, oxygen therapy or ventilation. Additionally, a statistically significant shorter duration of hospital stay (9% vs 12%, P <0.01) and a faster achievement of PCR negativity at day 14 (84% versus 47%, P <0.01) were noticed in group (A). CONCLUSION Adding sofosbuvir/daclatasvir to conventional therapy of COVID-19 is promising. Their use is associated with shorter hospital stay, faster PCR negativity and may be reduced mortality.