Clinical Pharmacology Perspectives on the Antiviral Activity of Azithromycin and Use in COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: Azithromycin (AZ) is a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic with a long half-life and a large volume of distribution. It is primarily used for the treatment of respiratory, enteric, and genitourinary bacterial infections. AZ is not approved for the treatment of viral infections, and there is no well-controlled, prospective, randomized clinical evidence to support AZ therapy in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nevertheless, there are anecdotal reports that some hospitals have begun to include AZ in combination with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine (CQ) for treatment of COVID-19. It is essential that the clinical pharmacology (CP) characteristics of AZ be considered in planning and conducting clinical trials of AZ alone or in combination with other agents, to ensure safe study conduct an

SUBMITTER: Damle B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7262099 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature