Combination Therapy Effective for MERS

摘要

Early treatment with interferon beta-lb and lopinavir-ritonavir reduced 90-day mortality. Several in vitro and observational studies have suggested that recombinant interferons and lopinavir-ritonavir could both be effective in treating infection with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but definitive data were lacking. In 2016 researchers began a placebo-controlled trial in patients with laboratory-confirmed MERS. Recombinant interferon beta-lb (8 million IU subcutaneously every other day) and oral lopinavir-ritonavir (400 mg/100 mg every 12 hours) were given for 14 days or until hospital discharge. The primary study outcome was 90-day all-cause mortality.