A multicenter non-randomized, uncontrolled single arm trial for evaluation of the efficacy and the safety of the treatment with favipiravir for patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021 Feb 22;15(2):e0009103. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009103. eCollection 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a bunyavirus infection with high mortality. Favipiravir has shown effectiveness in preventing and treating SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection in animal models. A multicenter non-randomized, uncontrolled single arm trial was conducted to collect data on the safety and the effectiveness of favipiravir in treatment of SFTS patients. All participants received favipiravir orally (first-day loading dose of 1800 mg twice a day followed by 800 mg twice a day for 7-14 days in total). SFTSV RT-PCR and biochemistry tests were performed at designated time points. Outcomes were 28-day mortality, clinical improvement, viral load evolution, and adverse events (AEs). Twenty-six patients were enrolled, of whom 23 were analyzed. Four of these 23 patients died of multi-organ failure within one week (28-day mortality rate: 17.3%). Oral favipiravir was well tolerated in the surviving patients. AEs (abnormal hepatic function and insomnia) occurred in about 20% of the patients. Clinical symptoms improved in all patients who survived from a median of day 2 to day10. SFTSV RNA levels in the patients who died were significantly higher than those in the survivors (p = 0.0029). No viral genomes were detectable in the surviving patients a median of 8 days after favipiravir administration. The 28-day mortality rate in this study was lower than those of the previous studies in Japan. The high frequency of hepatic dysfunction as an AE was observed. However, it was unclear whether this was merely a side effect of favipiravir, because liver disorders are commonly seen in SFTS patients. The results of this trial support the effectiveness of favipiravir for patients with SFTS.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Amides / administration & dosage
  • Amides / adverse effects*
  • Amides / blood
  • Amides / therapeutic use*
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Liver Diseases
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phlebovirus / isolation & purification
  • Pyrazines / administration & dosage
  • Pyrazines / adverse effects*
  • Pyrazines / blood
  • Pyrazines / therapeutic use*
  • RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome / mortality
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / chemically induced
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Viral Load / drug effects

Substances

  • Amides
  • Pyrazines
  • RNA, Viral
  • favipiravir

Supplementary concepts

  • SFTS phlebovirus

Associated data

  • UMIN-CTR/UMIN000022398
  • UMIN-CTR/UMIN000029020

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by grants-in-aid for the Research Program on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), grant numbers 16fk0108102 (MY and MS), 17fk0108202 (MY and MSa), and 18fk0108102 (MY and MSa), and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI, grant numbers 16K09935 (KS) and 19K08931 (KS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.