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Efficacy of arbidol in COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study
Shuo Wei1, Sha Xu2, Yun-Hu Pan3
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350000, Fujian Province, China.
Insights
Arbidol treatment shortened the disease duration for patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. Early administration of arbidol may be an effective strategy, especially for patients with high ferritin or lactate dehydrogenase levels.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- No definitive treatment exists for COVID-19, necessitating further research.
- Arbidol, a traditional antiviral, shows potential against SARS-CoV-2 based on in vitro studies.
- Clinical evidence for arbidol's efficacy in COVID-19 remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical efficacy of arbidol in treating COVID-19 patients.
- To assess arbidol's impact on disease duration in moderate to severe COVID-19 cases.
- To identify predictors of prolonged disease duration in COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 132 COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China (February-March 2020).
- Compared outcomes between 72 patients receiving arbidol (200 mg TID for 10 days) and 60 controls.
- Analyzed disease course and risk factors for extended duration.
Main Results:
- Arbidol group had a significantly shorter disease duration (23.42 ± 6.92 days vs. 29.60 ± 6.49 days, P < 0.001).
- Multivariate analysis indicated a 7.158-fold increased risk of prolonged disease in the non-arbidol group.
- Elevated ferritin (>483.0 ng/mL) and LDH (>237.5 U/L) were independent risk factors for delayed recovery.
Conclusions:
- Arbidol administration reduced COVID-19 duration by an average of 6.183 days.
- High ferritin and LDH levels are significant predictors of delayed recovery.
- Early arbidol treatment (200 mg TID, 10-day course) is a potential effective strategy for COVID-19, particularly in patients with elevated biomarkers.
Background:
To date, no treatment has proven to be absolutely effective for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, and further research is necessary. As a traditional antiviral drug, arbidol was widely used in Wuhan at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic and is of increasing interest for treating COVID-19 based on in vitro data suggesting activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Although arbidol has been widely used in China to treat COVID-19 patients, clinical trials to date have not clearly substantiated this approach.
Aim:
To evaluate the efficacy of arbidol for COVID-19.
Methods:
A retrospective study was conducted on 132 moderate and severe COVID-19 patients admitted to Jinyintan Hospital and Huoshenshan Hospital (officially designated for COVID-19 treatment) from February to March 2020 in Wuhan, China. This study mainly evaluated the efficacy of arbidol in patients with COVID-19 in the early stage of the SARS coronavirus 2 epidemic. Arbidol was administered at a dose of 200 mg, three times a day, with a 10-d course to adults not receiving any other drugs. Due to the shortage of beds at the time, not every patient could be admitted immediately. We looked for the early stages of the sudden outbreak, places of limited medical resources, limited ward beds, and delayed admission; thus, some patients naturally fit into the control group who did not receive any antiviral drugs. Out of the 132 patients, 72 received arbidol treatment, and 60 did not. We compared the disease course of the two groups and explored the predictors of extended disease duration.
Results:
Seventy-two patients commenced arbidol, and 60 patients did not receive arbidol treatment. The disease duration in the former group was shorter (23.42 ± 6.92 vs 29.60 ± 6.49, P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the risk of a prolonged course of disease increased by 7.158 times in the non-arbidol treatment group. Ferritin > 483.0 ng/mL and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 237.5 U/L were found to be independent risk factors for protracted cases, with the risk of an extended disease duration increasing to 2.852 times and 5.946 times, respectively.
Conclusion:
The duration course of moderate and severe COVID-19 patients is reduced by 6.183 d when arbidol is administered. Ferritin > 486.5 ng/mL and LDH > 239.5 U/L are independent risk factors for delayed recovery from COVID-19. Early oral administration of arbidol 200 mg t.i.d. with a 10-d course of treatment may be an effective management strategy in COVID-19 patients, particularly those with increased serum ferritin or elevated LDH.
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