Study of effectiveness of antiviral drugs (umifenovir, triazavirin) against acute respiratory viral infections

Aim. Comparative study of clinical efficacy and safety of antiviral drug triazavirin and umifenovir in the treatment of patients with acute respiratory viral infections and influenza.

Methods. The study included 100 patients aged 18 to 65 years diagnosed with moderate acute respiratory viral infection. Group 1 included 34 patients receiving umifenovir 200 mg 4 times a day for 5 days, and comparison group included 32 patients who received triazavirin 1 capsule (250 mg) 3 times a day for 5 days. Group 3 (control group) included 34 patients not treated with antiviral therapy. Efficacy and safety of the studied antiviral drugs were evaluated based on clinical symptoms in the disease course and were confirmed by adaptive reactions of the organism.

Results. Among patients receiving triazavirin, recovery time and fever, headache and catarrhal syndrome resolution time were less than among patients who received umifenovir. On triazavirin treatment with favorable tolerability, symptomatic medications (antipyretics) were discontinued, and the duration of their use was less, than in patients receiving umifenovir. Evaluation of clinical efficacy of umifenovir and triazavirin for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza demonstrated that the drugs effectively reverse the main symptoms of the disease (p <0.05), reduce complications incidence (18.1±2.1% vs. 55.9±3.2%, p <0.05) and contribute to the stabilization of adaptive reactions of the organism in contrast to the results of patients not receiving etiotropic therapy (6.9±2.9% vs. 12.8±2.7, p <0.05). During the use of umifenovir by day 4 and during the use of triazavirin by day 3 intoxication and catarrhal syndromes had been reversed, while in case of the absence of antiviral therapy, 55.8% of patients had continuing intoxication and catarrhal symptoms.

Conclusion. The results of the study allow defining umifenovir and triazavirin as the first line of defense against acute respiratory viral infections with good efficacy and tolerability of the drugs.