The association between famotidine and in-hospital mortality of patients with COVID-19
Kuno et al.,
The association between famotidine and in-hospital mortality of patients with COVID-19,
Journal of Medical Virology, doi:10.1002/jmv.27375
PSM retrospective 9,565 COVID-19 hospitalized patients in the USA, 1,593 receiving famotidine, showing no significant difference in mortality.
risk of death, no change, OR 1.00, p = 0.97, treatment 1,593, control 7,972, RR approximated with OR.
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Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates
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Kuno et al., 11 Oct 2021, retrospective, propensity score matching, USA, peer-reviewed, 4 authors, study period 1 March, 2020 - 30 March, 2021.
Abstract: Received: 16 August 2021
| Accepted: 1 October 2021
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27375
SHORT COMMUNICATION
The association between famotidine and in‐hospital mortality
of patients with COVID‐19
Toshiki Kuno1,2
|
Matsuo So2 |
1
Division of Cardiology, Montefiore Medical
Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine,
New York, New York, USA
Mai Takahashi2 |
Natalia N. Egorova3
Abstract
Famotidine has been considered to be a potential treatment for COVID‐19 but the
2
Department of Medicine, Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Beth
Israel, New York, New York, USA
3
Department of Population Health Science
and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, New York, USA
current data is conflicting. This retrospective study was conducted by utilizing data
of 9565 COVID‐19 hospitalized patients. Patients treated with and without famotidine were matched by propensity score using a 1:1 matching scheme. A total of
1593 patients (16.7%) received famotidine. In‐hospital mortality was similar in patients treated with and without famotidine in the propensity‐matched cohorts
Correspondence
Toshiki Kuno, MD, PhD, Division of
Cardiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert
Einstein College of Medicine, 111 East 210th
St, Bronx, NY 10467‐2401, USA.
Email: tkuno@montefiore.org
(28.3% vs. 28.2%, p = 0.97), which remains similar irrespective of severity or concomitant treatment by steroids. Famotidine treatment was not associated with a
lower risk of in‐hospital mortality of COVID‐19 patients.
KEYWORDS
COVID‐19, famotidine
Famotidine has been considered to be a potential treatment for
1, 2020 and March 30, 2021.7–10 Patients were divided into two
COVID‐19 since the pandemic started in 2020. Since the hypothesis
groups, those with and those without treatment with famotidine.
derives from the concept that severe acute respiratory syndrome
The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. Patients
coronavirus 2 infections can cause histamine release via mast cell
treated with famotidine and without famotidine were matched by
activation, which leads to systemic inflammation and cytokine re-
propensity score using a 1:1 matching scheme without replace-
lease, it has been expected that famotidine can reduce systemic in-
ment. Good balance (standardized mean difference < 0.10) was
flammation and cytokine release.1 Nonetheless, it remains uncertain
achieved for patients' baseline characteristics including age, sex,
whether famotidine is effective for the treatment of COVID‐19.1
comorbidities, vital signs at admission, laboratory data, and in‐
While some observational studies showed potential benefit of fa-
hospital treatment including the use of steroids, interleukin‐6
motidine by decreasing mortality due to COVID‐19,2,3 another study
(IL‐6) inhibitor, convalescent plasma, and remdesivir. As a sensi-
demonstrated no benefit of famotidine.4 In addition, we hypothe-
tivity analysis, we performed inverse probability treatment
sized that steroids treatment which is the standard treatment of
weighted (IPTW) analysis. In addition, multiple imputations for
COVID‐19 as of May 15, 2021, might mitigate the effect of famoti-
missing data were conducted (R software MICE package).
dine since steroids also reduce inflammation and cytokine release
through mast cells.5,6
We performed several analyses where we investigated the effect
of famotidine on different subgroups of patients. We compared in‐
The aim of this study was to..
Late treatment
is less effective
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