Safety and Efficacy of Orally Administered Cepharanthine in Non-Hospitalized, Asymptomatic or Mild COVID-19 Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

The study investigated the safety and efficacy of Cepharanthine (CEP) in treating non-hospitalized, asymptomatic, or mild COVID-19 patients. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 386 participants, patients received either 60 mg/day or 120 mg/day of CEP or a placebo. The primary outcome was the time to a negative nasopharyngeal swab. In the modified intention-to-treat population of de novo infected patients, 60 mg/day CEP slightly reduced the time to negative, but not significantly. However, in the per-protocol set, 60 mg/day CEP significantly shortened the time to negative. For viral rebound patients, neither dosage significantly reduced the time to negative. No serious adverse events were reported, indicating that CEP is safe but not conclusively effective in reducing the time to negative COVID-19 status.