Research brief

Researchers investigated the safety and efficacy of Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) for hemodialysis-dependent patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.


Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) therapy showed a potential therapeutic effect with good tolerance in hemodialysis patients, according to research published in Frontiers of Medicine.

Study Design

  • Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine investigated the safety and efficacy of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) therapy for hemodialysis-dependent patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.
  • Thirteen hemodialysis patients infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 from April 3 to May 30, 2022, were recruited. Laboratory parameters and chest CT (computed tomography) imaging were analyzed.
  • The treatment group included six patients who received 150 mg/100 mg of Paxlovid orally once daily for 5 days, whereas the control group included seven patients who received basic treatment.

Results

  • Four control patients progressed to moderate disease, and none in the treatment group showed progression of chest CT findings (P < 0.05). Paxlovid therapy tended toward early viral clearance and low viral load on Day 8.
  • Moreover, 83.3% of the patients in the treatment group and 57.1% of the patients in the control group turned negative within 22 days.
  • In the Paxlovid treatment group, the researchers found significantly increased levels of lymphocytes (P=0.03) and eosinophils (P=0.02) and decreased levels of D-dimer on Day 8 compared with those on Day 1.
  • No serious adverse reactions or safety events were recorded.

“Paxlovid therapy showed a potential therapeutic effect with good tolerance in hemodialysis patients,” researchers concluded. “The optimal dose and effectiveness evaluation must be further investigated in a larger cohort.”