ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Virus and Host
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1584261
Effectiveness and safety of azvudine in the treatment of COVID-19 patients: a retrospective cohort study using propensity score matching
Provisionally accepted
- Department of Pharmacy，Medical Security Center Stationed in the 5th Medical Center Pharmacy Room,PLA General Hospital,Beijing 100039,China, Beijing, China
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【Abstract】Background: Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of azvudine in alleviating clinical symptoms among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, evidence regarding its real-world effectiveness and safety profile remains limited. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of azvudine in COVID-19 patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 192 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Fengtai District, Beijing, from November 1 to December 31, 2022. Patients were divided into azvudine (n=118) and non-azvudine (n=74) groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance baseline characteristics (age, sex, vaccination status, etc.), yielding 48 matched pairs. Outcomes included time to SARS-CoV-2 RNA negativity, hospitalization duration, and symptom resolution (fever, cough). Adverse events were recorded. Results: After PSM, 48 pairs of COVID-19 patients were identified. The azvudine group exhibited significantly shorter hospitalization than the non-azvudine group (median: 8 vs. 10 days, P≤0.05). No significant differences were observed in time to RNA negativity (4.23 vs. 4.52 days, P>0.05), fever duration (2 vs. 2 days, P>0.05), or cough duration (4.5 vs. 5 days, P>0.05). One case of mild gastrointestinal discomfort was reported in the azvudine group. Conclusion: Azvudine significantly reduced hospitalization duration in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients with a favorable safety profile.
Keywords: azvudine, COVID-19, Propensity score matching, Hospitalization duration, Retrospective study
Received: 27 Feb 2025; Accepted: 22 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Wang, Xie, Li, Zhu and Dong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yuan Dong, Department of Pharmacy，Medical Security Center Stationed in the 5th Medical Center Pharmacy Room,PLA General Hospital,Beijing 100039,China, Beijing, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.