Lassa fever (LF) is a viral hemorrhagic fever endemic to West Africa, with high case fatality in hospitalized patients and limited treatment options, including ribavirin. Preclinical evidence suggests high-dose favipiravir is a promising antiviral treatment alternative.
We conducted a randomized controlled open-label phase 2 clinical trial at two reference hospitals in Nigeria to evaluate favipiravir in the treatment of LF. Primary endpoints were the description of classic pharmacokinetic parameters (maximum plasma concentration, time to reach maximum plasma concentration, area under the curve (AUC), half-life and volume of distribution) as well as the safety and tolerability of favipiravir compared with ribavirin in the treatment of acute LF.
Hospitalized adult patients with mild-to-moderate RT-PCR-confirmed LF were eligible to participate. In total, 41 patients were randomized (ribavirin n = 21; favipiravir n = 20), and 36 completed the 10-day follow-up period.
A total of 19 (46.3%) participants were female, and the median age was 37 years. The primary endpoints were met.
Nature Medicine published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 15 May 2026.
The item focuses on Favipiravir for Lassa fever: an open-label, randomized controlled phase 2 trial.
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