22 Sept 2023 • In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study published in the NEJM & conducted in the United States, researchers aimed to evaluate the efficacy of inhaled glucocorticoid medication, specifically fluticasone furoate, in shortening the duration of symptoms or preventing severe outcomes in nonhospitalized adults aged 30 or older with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

• Participants were assigned randomly to receive either inhaled fluticasone furoate at a 200 μg daily dose for 14 days or a placebo. The primary endpoint was the time it took for sustained recovery, defined as three consecutive symptom-free days.
• The study found no significant evidence that using fluticasone furoate resulted in a quicker recovery compared to the placebo group (hazard ratio of 1.01, 95% credible interval 0.91 to 1.12).
• While there were more urgent-care or hospital visits in the fluticasone furoate group (3.7%) compared to the placebo group (2.1%), there were no significant differences in hospitalization or death rates between the two groups.
• Adverse events were rare in both cohorts.

Overall, the study concluded that the 14-day treatment with inhaled fluticasone furoate did not lead to a shorter time to recovery in outpatients with COVID-19 in the United States.

Source: NEJM | Read full story