DOH to stop administering anti-HIV drugs lopinavir, ritonavir in COVID-19 treatment trials

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) will stop administering to hospitalized COVID-19 patients anti-HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir in its trials for the coronavirus disease treatment.

This is after the World Health Organization announced it will discontinue its trials of the combination HIV drugs, along with malaria drug hydroxychloroquine after they failed to reduce mortality rate.

“Based on the recent evidence and recommendations from our experts, we will be stopping the use of lopinavir and ritonavir among hospitalized patients,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters in a text message.

“We have already discontinued Hydroxychloroquine early on when the evidence for this came out,” she added.

Under the WHO’s Solidarity Trial, to which the Philippines is participating, four drugs are being eyes as treatment for COVID-19: the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, the anti-HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir or a combination of the two, and interferon.

Last May, the DOH temporarily paused administering the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to patients as a treatment for coronavirus disease after WHO halted its use due to evidence that people taking the drug were at higher risk of incurring heart problems, or even of death.

In June, WHO altogether halted the trials for hydroxychloroquine after finding that it did not reduce mortality rate

The trial for the said drug was resumed after safety review.

Last Thursday, Vergeire said antiviral drug remdesivir has so far shown “positive effects” on some patients taking it.

However, such findings are not conclusive yet.

JE