Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40308760›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in pharmacology2025

Efficacy and safety of antiviral treatments for symptomatic COVID-19 outpatients: network meta-analysis and budget impact analysis.

Giacomo Berti, Daniele Mengato, Honoria Ocagli, Gianmarco Chinellato, Maria Mazzitelli, Anna Maria Cattelan, Ileana Baldi, Francesca Venturini

Abstract read
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Article in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Giacomo BertiUnit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Daniele MengatoHospital Pharmacy Unit, Hospital-University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
Honoria OcagliUnit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Gianmarco ChinellatoHospital Pharmacy Unit, Hospital-University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
Maria MazzitelliInfectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Hospital-University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
Anna Maria CattelanInfectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Hospital-University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
Ileana BaldiUnit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Francesca VenturiniHospital Pharmacy Unit, Hospital-University of Padua, Padova, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Remdesivir (RDV) and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NRM/RTV) are two antiviral agents for treating outpatient adults with mild to moderate symptomatic COVID-19 at high risk of developing a severe disease. The review objectives are to compare the efficacy and safety of these antivirals based on published RCT and real-world data, and to evaluate costs from a healthcare perspective. Methods: This study provides a network meta-analysis of RDV and NRM/RTV for early treatment of COVID-19. The outcomes analysed were hospitalisation for any cause and serious adverse events. A cost-analysis was performed incorporating drug costs, administration, hospitalisations, and management of adverse events. A budget impact analysis was estimated for the University Hospital of Padua. Results: Our results indicated that RDV showed a trend towards a lower risk of hospitalisation compared to NRM/RTV (RR 1.59, 95% CI: 0.60-4.20), though this was not statistically significant. For safety, NRM/RTV demonstrated a slightly lower risk of serious adverse events compared to RDV (RR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.31-2.74), but without statistical significance. A cost analysis showed that NRM/RTV could save €550,854.46 per 1,000 patients. Finally, a budget impact analysis based on data from the University Hospital of Padua estimated annual savings of €210,977.25 if all early treatments were administered with NRM/RTV instead of RDV. Discussion: The comparison of the two antiviral therapies for the early treatment of COVID-19 did not yield statistically significant differences in the potential efficacy and safety to prevent hospitalisation or serious adverse events. However, the results of the cost-analysis showed a saving in favour of NRM/RTV.

Indexed as

antiviralcost-analysisCOVID-19network meta-analysisnirmatrelvir-ritonaviroutpatientremdesivir

Identifiers

PMID40308760
PMCPMC12041651

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.