AUTHOR=Brzoska Josef , von Eick Harald , Hündgen Manfred 

TITLE=Interferons in COVID-19: missed opportunities to prove efficacy in clinical phase III trials?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1198576

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2023.1198576

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Due to their antiviral effects, interferons were repeatedly used in the therapy of COVID-19. Three recently published randomized controlled clinical phase III trials (WHO SOLIDARITY, ACTT-3, SPRINTER) missed their primary objectives, i.e. a significant therapeutic effect of interferons was not demonstrated in these trials. In only one randomized controlled phase III study (TOGETHER) a significant reduction of the hospitalization rate could be revealed. The present paper analyzes these findings, gives possible explanations for the failure of interferons, provides a proposal on how these agents could be successfully used and also highlights the limitations of their employment in COVID-19. Interferons are apparently beneficial only if the patients are in the early stage of this disease and when they are normally not hospitalized, i.e. if the patients do not require oxygen support and/or if corticosteroids are not yet indicated. Furthermore, a higher dosage than the one used in the long-term treatment of multiple sclerosis with interferon beta or of chronic viral hepatitis with interferon alpha or lambda, respectively, should be employed to achieve a better therapeutic effect in COVID-19.