A prospective, open label, randomized-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Herbovir syrup in mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 patients experience cytokine storm which cause pulmonary and extra-pulmonary complications. Effective antiviral and immune boosters are need of hour to treat COVID-19 as well as post COVID complications.Methods: In this study involving mild COVID-19 we randomized 40 patients to receive a Herbovir syrup along with standard of care (SOC) or SOC alone in 1:1 ratio. We evaluated the benefits of Herbovir syrup by assessing clinical outcomes and improvement in immune markers (LDH, CRP, D-dimer).Results: At the end of the study the immune markers in Herbovir group improved significant compared to control group. In patients who received Herbovir, LDH decreased from 334 U/l at baseline to 254 U/l at the end of treatment (p value <0.009), CRP decreased from 7.4 mg/l to 3.1 mg/l (p value=0.0171) and D-dimer decreased from 0.610 mg/l at baseline to 318 mg/l at the end of study (p value=0.001). TLC values did not go below normal range in Herbovir group whereas 8 patients in control group had low TLC at the end of study. Early recovery from COVID 19 symptoms was observed in >75% patients in Herbovir treated group.Conclusions: Herbovir accelerated recovery of COVID-19 patients by early improvement in clinical symptoms and immune markers in this study and results clearly indicates that Herbovir syrup has antiviral, immune booster activity and has definitive role in the management of mild COVID-19 patients along with standard of care. (Funded by Venkat pharma. CTRI no. CTRI/2020/08/027041).