The safety and efficacy of oral antiviral drug VV116 for treatment of COVID-19: A systematic review

Background:Recent trials have highlighted the potential of oral antiviral VV116 in the treatment of patients with mild COVID-19. However, no comprehensive studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of VV116. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to assess the safety and efficacy of VV116. Methods:A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar websites, with a cutoff date of March 23, to identify pertinent studies. Results:The results from the 3 included studies indicated that no serious adverse events were reported in the VV116 experimental groups, which exhibited a 2.57-day faster time to viral shedding than the control group and demonstrated non-inferiority to the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir control group in alleviating major symptoms. Discussion:Collectively, available studies suggest a reliable safety and efficacy profile for VV116. However, the limited number of trials was insufficient for meta-analysis, and the included population consisted of younger individuals with mild and moderate symptoms, not encompassing the elderly who are severely affected by COVID-19. We hope that more studies will be conducted in the future to ensure that VV116 has a more reliable safety and efficacy profile in the clinical setting, especially in severe or critical patients.

Automated summary

Background: Recent trials have shown the potential of oral antiviral VV116 in treating mild COVID-19 patients. However, the safety and efficacy of VV116 have not been comprehensively assessed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the safety and efficacy of VV116. Methods: A thorough search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar websites to identify relevant studies. Results: The results from the 3 included studies showed no serious adverse events in the VV116 experimental groups. These groups had a faster viral shedding time by 2.57 days compared to the control group and were non-inferior to the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir control group in alleviating major symptoms. Discussion: Available studies suggest a reliable safety and efficacy profile for VV116. However, the limited number of trials and the exclusion of elderly individuals severely affected by COVID-19 raise the need for more research to establish a more reliable safety and efficacy profile for VV116, especially in severe or critical patients.