Viruses
Efficacy and Safety of Arbidol (Umifenovir) in Adults with Influenza and Other Acute Respiratory Viral Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
By Irina A. Leneva, А. А. Поромов, Dmitry A. Lioznov and 3 others.
Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of umifenovir for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs), including evidence from Russian-language clinical trials not previously incorporated into international systematic reviews.
Methods
PubMed, eLibrary, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and national archives were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective or retrospective studies comparing umifenovir with placebo, no antiviral therapy, or oseltamivir.
Results
Twenty-three studies were included: 12 therapeutic (n = 5083) and 11 prophylactic (n = 13,663). In RCT subgroups, umifenovir reduced intoxication symptoms (MD: −0.94 days; 95% CI: −1.62 to −0.26) and overall illness duration (MD: −1.17 days; 95% CI: −2.23 to −0.10) but not fever duration (MD: −0.58 days; 95% CI: −1.31 to 0.16). In the overall analysis, umifenovir reduced the risk of complications (RR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.24–0.62). Prophylaxis reduced laboratory-confirmed influenza (RR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.28–0.54). Adverse events were infrequent 3.6% (95% CI: 2.4–4.8%) and did not differ significantly from placebo (RR 0.59; 95% CI: 0.34–1.03).