Famotidine linked to improved outcomes in COVID-19
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In hospitalized patients with COVID-19, famotidine was correlated with a lower mortality risk, lower risk for combined mortality and intubation outcomes and lower serum markers for severe disease, according to a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
“The main finding of our single-center, retrospective study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is that use of famotidine is associated with improved clinical outcome including lower in-hospital mortality and a lower composite endpoint of death and/or intubation,” Jeffrey F. Mather, MS, from the division of research administration at Hartford Hospital, and colleagues wrote. “The impact of the drug on mortality appears to be most pronounced in patients with the highest level of acuity as measured by mean [national early warning score (NEWS)] score.”
Researchers conducted a retrospective, propensity-matched observational study of 878 patients with COVID-19 from February 24 to May 13, 2020. Eighty-three patients received famotidine.
Patients treated with famotidine were younger than patients who were not treated with famotidine (63.5 vs. 67.5 years); however, there was no difference between groups regarding baseline demographics and preexisting comorbidities. Famotidine was correlated with a reduced risk for in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.37; 96% CI, 0.16-0.86) and combined death or intubation (OR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.23-0.96).
“In addition, patients receiving famotidine displayed lower levels of serum markers for severe disease including lower media peak C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (0.4 vs. 12.7 mg/dL; P = .002), lower median procalcitonin levels (0.16 vs. 0.30 ng/mL; P = .004) and a non-significant trend to lower ferritin levels (797.7 vs. 965 ng/mL; P = .076),” Mather and colleagues wrote.
While logistic regression analysis showed famotidine was a predictor for lower mortality and combined death and intubation, older age, BMI over 30 kg/m2, chronic kidney disease, NEWS score and higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio were predictors for adverse outcomes.
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Mather JF, et al. Impact of Famotidine Use on Clinical Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients. 2020.
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