JAMA Netw Open

Montelukast didn't shorten COVID-19 recovery time in clinical trial

October 23, 2024

Montelukast does not appear to reduce the duration of COVID-19 symptoms in outpatients with mild to moderate cases, according to the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV-6) randomized clinical trial.

Conducted from January to June 2023 across 104 US sites, the study included participants aged ≥30 years with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and acute symptoms for <7 days. Participants were randomized to receive either montelukast or placebo for 14 days. The primary outcome measured was the time to sustained recovery, defined as three consecutive days without symptoms.

Among 1,250 participants (median age, 53 years; 60.2% female; 56.3% received ≥2 doses of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine), no significant differences in recovery time were found between the montelukast and placebo groups (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.02). Both groups had a median recovery time of 10 days. No deaths occurred, and hospitalizations were minimal in both groups.

Source:

Rothman RL, et al; Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines–6 Study Group and Investigators. (2024, October 1). JAMA Netw Open. Time to Sustained Recovery Among Outpatients With COVID-19 Receiving Montelukast vs Placebo: The ACTIV-6 Randomized Clinical Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39422912/