Antidepressant reduces hospitalisations and deaths
June 16, 2026
34 min
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182 of 364
June 16, 2026
Antidepressant reduces hospitalisations and deaths
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Dr John Campbell Episodes Around June 16, 2026
Episode 182 of 364 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
34:18This episodeAntidepressant reduces hospitalisations and deaths
Summary
Common antidepressant, $4 per course and it works
Effect of early treatment with fluvoxamine on risk of emergency care and hospitalisation among patients with COVID-19: the TOGETHER randomised, platform clinical trial
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04727424
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00448-4/fulltext
https://www.togethertrial.com
Background
Potential therapeutic role of fluvoxamine
TOGETHER trial for acutely symptomatic patients
To assess the efficacy of fluvoxamine versus placebo
In preventing hospitalisation
Methods
Placebo-controlled
Randomised
Double blind
Adaptive platform trial
(Factoring in analyses at key points
So study design parameters like sample size, dosage, or patient selection can be adjusted accordingly)
https://www.parexel.com/experience/adaptive-flexible-trials?KW=adaptive%20trial%20design&AG=%7Badgroup%7D&CS=MSS&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=mss&utm_term=adaptive%20trial%20design&utm_content=106310559248&gclid=CjwKCAjw2vOLBhBPEiwAjEeK9t9AW3N8ysMeIkLgKabG5MRPEtJD9EJsq8hzBhnQ0ztDLPPUm5gppBoCe_oQAvD_BwE
High-risk symptomatic Brazilian adults
Age ranges and 58% female
Confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2
Within 7 days from first symptoms or diagnosis
Patients from 11 clinical sites in Brazil
Patients were randomly assigned (1:1)
Fluvoxamine (100 mg twice daily for 10 days), n = 741
Placebo, n = 756
Primary outcome
Hospitalisation, retention or transfer
Up to 28 days post-random assignment
Findings, Jan 20 to Aug 5, 2021
The proportion of patients observed in a COVID-19 emergency setting for more than 6 h
Or transferred to a teritary hospital due to COVID-19 (87%)
Lower for the fluvoxamine group compared with placebo
Fluvoxamine group
79 [11%] of 741
Placebo group
119 [16%] of 756
Relative risk 0·68
95% credible interval, 0·52–0·88
Probability of superiority, 99·8%
Fluvoxamine group
17 deaths
Placebo group
25 deaths
Odds ratio [OR] 0·68
95% credible interval, 0·36–1·27
No significant differences in number of treatment emergent adverse events among patients in the fluvoxamine and placebo groups