Lopinavir-ritonavir treatment shows no significant benefit for severe Covid-19 patients

Health · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: A randomized controlled trial of 199 hospitalized adults with severe Covid-19 found that the drug combination lopinavir-ritonavir did not improve recovery times compared to standard care alone. While the primary analysis showed no significant difference in the time to clinical improvement, a modified analysis suggested a marginal one-day difference in recovery speed.

The study aimed to see if this existing medication could help patients with low oxygen saturation. However, the results were largely inconclusive, and the trial was limited by its small sample size and the fact that it was an open-label design.

The researchers noted that while lopinavir-ritonavir was associated with more gastrointestinal issues, the standard care group actually saw more serious adverse events.

Why it matters: This study suggests that lopinavir-ritonavir is not an effective treatment for severe Covid-19 cases requiring hospitalization.

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