Anti-acidity drug may curb COVID-19 symptoms in mild to moderate disease

A widely available and inexpensive anti-acidity drug reduced COVID-19 symptoms within 1-2 days in mild to moderate disease 

A widely available and inexpensive anti-acidity drug that is used to ease the symptoms of indigestion may control COVID-19 symptoms in those whose disease doesn’t require admission to hospital, suggest the findings of a case series, published online in the journal Gut.

The effects were felt within 24 to 48 hours of taking famotidine. Famotidine belongs to a class of drugs known as histamine-2 receptor antagonists, which reduce the amount of stomach acid produced. Famotidine can be taken in doses of 20-160 mg, up to four times a day, for the treatment of acid reflux and heartburn.

In this study, a patient-reported symptom tracking method used for patients with cancer was adapted for patients with COVID-19. Researchers developed a 4-point scale for six common COVID-19 associated symptoms – cough; shortness of breath; fatigue; headache and loss of taste/smell as well as general unwellness that patients score every day. 

All 10 patients said that symptoms quickly improved within 24-48 hours of starting famotidine and had mostly cleared up after 14 days

The report included 10 people (6 men; 4 women) aged 23 to 71 years, who developed COVID-19 infection. Seven of the patients tested positive for COVID-19, using a swab test; two had antibodies to the infection; and one patient wasn’t tested but was diagnosed with the infection by a doctor.

They had a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds and known risk factors for COVID-19 severity, including high blood pressure and obesity. All started taking famotidine when they were feeling very poorly with COVID-19. The most frequently used dose was 80 mg taken three times a day, with the average treatment period lasting 11 days, but ranging from 5 to 21 days.

All 10 patients said that symptoms quickly improved within 24-48 hours of starting famotidine and had mostly cleared up after 14 days. Improvement was evident across all symptom categories assessed, but respiratory symptoms, such as cough and shortness of breath, improved more rapidly than systemic symptoms, such as fatigue. Three patients experienced mild but temporary forgetfulness, a known side effect of the drug.

“Our case series suggests, but does not establish, a benefit from famotidine treatment in outpatients with COVID-19,” authors cautioned. A clinical trial, testing the combination of famotidine with the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, is already under way.

Once validated, the patient-reported symptom tracking method will be a key component in a clinical trial that is “double-blind,” meaning that neither patient nor doctor know whether the patient is getting the test drug or a placebo (standard therapy) until the trial is completed.