The Efficacy of Favipiravir Therapy in COVID-19 Patients: A Review Article

Abstract

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in a major global public health crisis. In the absence of a universally approved specific antiviral therapy, several existing antiviral agents have been repurposed, including favipiravir. Favipiravir is a purine nucleoside analog that inhibits RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), an essential enzyme for viral RNA replication. This review aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of favipiravir therapy in patients with COVID-19. A narrative literature review was conducted using databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar, including national and international peer-reviewed journals published between 2019 and 2021. Clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies assessing favipiravir in COVID-19 patients were included, while articles lacking accessible full texts or reliable data were excluded. The reviewed studies indicate that favipiravir therapy is associated with improved clinical outcomes, including reduced duration of fever and cough and accelerated viral clearance within 7–14 days of hospitalization, particularly in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. However, considerable variability in outcomes was observed due to differences in study design, sample size, dosing regimens, comparator therapies, and treatment duration. Overall, favipiravir demonstrates potential as an antiviral therapy for COVID-19; nevertheless, large-scale, well-designed randomized controlled trials are required to definitively confirm its efficacy and safety across different patient populations.