Inhaled Fluticasone Furoate not effective Against COVID-19: NEJM

In a recent clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of repurposed medications in treating outpatients with confirmed COVID-19. The findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that a 14-day regimen of fluticasone furoate did not accelerate the recovery time when compared to a placebo among this cohort of COVID-19 patients in the US.

The trial, involving nonhospitalized adults aged 30 or older who exhibited at least two symptoms of acute COVID-19 infection lasting no more than seven days, randomized participants into two groups. One group received inhaled fluticasone furoate at a daily dose of 200 μg for a duration of 14 days, while the other received a placebo. The primary endpoint was the "time to sustained recovery," defined as three consecutive days without any COVID-19 symptoms. Key secondary endpoints included hospitalization or death by day 28 and a composite outcome encompassing urgent-care or emergency department visits, hospitalization, or death up to day 28.

Of the 1407 participants enrolled in the trial, 656 received inhaled fluticasone furoate, and 621 received a placebo. The analysis revealed that there was no substantial evidence to suggest that fluticasone furoate shortened the time to recovery compared to the placebo group. The hazard ratio, a measure of relative risk, was 1.01 with a 95% credible interval ranging from 0.91 to 1.12. The probability of a benefit, defined as a hazard ratio greater than 1, stood at a mere 0.56.