The Prevent Severe COVID-19 (PRESECO) Study

COVID-19 starts as a pure viral infection and evolves into a multifactorial disease with components of hyper immune activation, end organ damage, and fibrosis. Suppression of viral replication is expected to be impactful early in the course of disease. The ability to mitigate the symptoms at an early stage will prevent progression to severe COVID-19 and can save many lives. Early treatment could also reduce viral shedding, diminishing the period of infectivity and decreasing the number of secondary cases.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults age 18 or older
• Tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR assay using a respiratory tract sample (either nasopharyngeal swab OR oropharyngeal swab OR nasal aspirate OR tracheobronchial aspirate OR saliva) collected within 72 hours of randomization
• Stated willingness to give their written informed consent to participate in the study
• Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study
• Males must be sterile, OR agree not to donate semen AND agree to strictly adhere to contraceptive measures during the study and for 7 days following the last dose of study medication
• Females must be unable to bear children, OR ensure that their male partner is incapable of fathering a child, OR, if of childbearing potential will strictly adhere to contraceptive measures during the study and for seven days following the last dose of study medication
• Females must agree to stop breast-feeding prior to first dose of study drug and through seven days after completing therapy
• Females must have a negative pregnancy test at screening
• Ability to take oral medication and be willing to adhere to the favipiravir/placebo regimen
• Subject has access to a smart phone, tablet, or PC
• Minimal baseline severity score for COVID-19-related symptoms: at least two symptoms with a score of 2 or higher. COVID-19-related symptoms (excluding changes in the sense of taste or smell) include:
• stuffy or runny nose
• sore throat
• shortness of breath
• cough
• lack of energy or tiredness
• muscle or body aches
• headache
• chills or shivering
• feeling hot or feverish
• nausea
• diarrhea
• vomiting

Exclusion criteria

• O2 saturation <94%
• Shortness of breath at rest
• Heart rate ≥ 125 per minute
• COVID-19 symptoms first presented >5 days prior to randomization
• Requirement for hospitalization at the time of enrollment
• Participation in another trial or use of any experimental treatment for COVID-19
• Treatment with high steroid dose i.e. >30 mg/day prednisolone equivalent (excluding stable chronic treatment) or remdesivir or anyone receiving SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies within 3 months prior to enrollment
• Known sepsis or organ dysfunction/ failure
• Known infection with a respiratory virus other than SARS-CoV2 (e.g. Influenza) or any known bacterial infection (affecting the respiratory system or any other system)
• Inability to adhere to study requirements
• For premenopausal women: unwilling or unable to use effective birth control measures
• Known allergy to favipiravir
• Known end-stage kidney disease or requiring hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)
• Known liver impairment greater than Child-Pugh A
• Psychiatric illness that is not well controlled (defined as stable on a regimen for more than one year).
• Known elevated uric acid levels in the past year or taking uric acid lowering medications (allopurinol, febuxostat)
• History of hereditary xanthinuria or history of xanthine urolithiasis.
• History of gout or actively being treated for gout.
• Current use of the following medications, which cannot be discontinued for the duration of the study: pyrazinamide, hydralazine, more than 3000 mg of acetaminophen per day.