Fluvoxamine for Early Treatment of Covid-19 (Stop Covid 2)
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The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04668950 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : December 16, 2020
Results First Posted : October 18, 2022
Last Update Posted : October 31, 2022
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The purpose of this research study is to determine if a drug called fluvoxamine can be used early in the course of the COVID-19 infection to prevent more serious complications like shortness of breath. Fluvoxamine is an anti-depressant drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The use of fluvoxamine for the treatment of COVID-19 is considered investigational, which means the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for this use.
This study is fully-remote, which means that there is no face-to-face contact; study materials including study drug will be shipped to participants' houses. People around the United States and Canada can participate.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Covid19 Coronavirus | Drug: Fluvoxamine Drug: Placebo | Phase 3 |
The investigators will randomize approximately 880 participants, age 30 and older, who have tested tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently experiencing mild symptoms. People around the United States and Canada can participate. All interactions for this study will be conducted remotely by videoconferencing, email, or phone.
Screening: All participants will first complete a pre-screen to see if they may be eligible for the study. Once a participant is confirmed eligible and consented, the study team will send the study materials. These materials will consist of study medication and self-monitoring equipment, including an oxygen saturation monitor, blood pressure monitor, and thermometer.
RCT: Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to take either fluvoxamine or a placebo. This phase of the study will last approximately 15 days and is double-blinded. Participants will take up to 100mg of fluvoxamine or placebo by mouth twice a day for a daily total of 200mg. Participants will continue this dose for approximately 15 days. Depending on tolerability, the dose may be adjusted. Participants will also complete short 5 minute assessments daily to report the results of self-monitoring (including oxygen level, blood pressure, and temperature), a shortness of breath rating and any adverse events.
Follow-up Phase: The study team will follow participants for approximately 90 days after the end of the randomized phase. If needed, the study team will review medical records to determine the clinical course of participants.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 670 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Fluvoxamine for Early Treatment of Covid-19: a Fully-remote, Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial |
Actual Study Start Date : | December 22, 2020 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | September 28, 2021 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | September 28, 2021 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Fluvoxamine
Start fluvoxamine 50mg capsule once, then 100mg twice daily. May reduce dose for tolerability reasons. Will be followed in the RCT for approximately 15 days.
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Drug: Fluvoxamine
Up to 200mg per day (2 capsules per day) as tolerated, for approximately 15 days
Other Name: Luvox |
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Start placebo one capsule, twice daily. May reduce dose for tolerability reasons. Will be followed in RCT for approximately 15 days.
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Drug: Placebo
Will take 2 capsules per day as tolerated for approximately 15 days |
- Number of Participants With Clinical Deterioration [ Time Frame: RCT-approximately 15 days ]Defined as the number of participants who experienced the following: both of the following: 1)Presence of dyspnea and/or hospitalization for shortness of breath or pneumonia, 2)) decrease in O2 saturation (<92% on room air) and/or supplemental oxygen requirement to keep O2 saturation ≥92%).

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 30 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Men and woman age 30 and older;
- Not currently hospitalized
- Proven SARS-CoV-2 positive (per lab or physician report).
- Currently symptomatic with one or more of the following symptoms: fever, cough, myalgia, mild dyspnea, chest pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, anosmia (inability to smell), ageusia (inability to taste), sore throat, nasal congestion.
- Able to provide informed consent.
- Upon initial screening, participant reports one of the following risk factors for clinical deterioration: age≥40, racial/ethnic group African-American, Hispanic, or Native American (including more than one race), or 1+ of the following medical conditions which increase risk for developing moderate-severe COVID illness: obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease (coronary artery disease, history of myocardial infarction, or heart failure), lung disease (eg asthma, COPD), immune disorder (eg rheumatoid arthritis, lupus).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Illness severe enough to require hospitalization or already meeting study's primary endpoint for clinical worsening (eg current O2 saturation <92% on room air, current use of supplemental oxygen to maintain O2 saturation ≥92%).
- Unstable medical comorbidities (eg decompensated cirrhosis), per patient report and/or medical records.
- Immunocompromised from the following: solid organ transplant, BMT, high dose steroids (>20mg prednisone per day), or tocilizumab
- Already enrolled in another COVID 19 medication trial (not including vaccination or prophylaxis trials)
- Unable to provide informed consent
- Unable to perform the study procedures
- Taking donepezil (rationale: donepezil is a S1R agonist), or sertraline (rationale: sertraline is a strong sigma-1 antagonist).
- Taking warfarin-also known as Coumadin (rationale: increased risk of bleeding), phenytoin (rationale: fluvoxamine inhibits its metabolism), clopidogrel (rationale: fluvoxamine inhibits its metabolism from pro-drug to active drug which raises risk of cardiovascular events), and St John's wort (rationale: fluvoxamine + St John's wort are considered contraindicated because of the risk of serotonin syndrome)
- Taking SSRIs, SNRIs, or tricyclic antidepressants, unless these are at a low dose such that a study investigator concludes that a clinically significant interaction with fluvoxamine (ie either serotonin syndrome or TCA overdose) is unlikely (examples: participant takes escitalopram but only at 5-10mg daily; that dose plus 200mg fluvoxamine would be insufficient to cause serotonin syndrome; or, participant takes amitriptyline but only at 25mg nightly; even if fluvoxamine inhibits its metabolism, it would be an insufficient dose to cause QTc prolongation or problematic side effects).
- Individuals who report they have bipolar disorder or are taking medication for bipolar disorder (lithium, valproate, high-dose antipsychotic), unless the investigator concludes that the risk for mania is unlikely (ie it is doubtful that the patient actually has bipolar disorder).
- Individuals who take alprazolam or diazepam and are unwilling to cut the medication by 25% (rationale: fluvoxamine modestly inhibits the metabolism of these drugs).
- Participants taking theophylline, tizanidine, clozapine, or olanzapine (drugs with a narrow therapeutic index that are primarily metabolized by CYP 1A2, which is inhibited by fluvoxamine) will be reviewed with a study investigator and excluded unless the investigator concludes that the risk to the participant is low (this would be unlikely; example: participant takes tizanidine only as needed and is willing to avoid it for the 15 days of the study).
- Received vaccine for COVID-19.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT04668950
United States, Illinois | |
Northwestern University | |
Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611 | |
United States, Missouri | |
Washington University School of Medicine | |
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110 | |
United States, Utah | |
University of Utah | |
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84108 | |
United States, Washington | |
Fred Hutchinson | |
Seattle, Washington, United States, 98109 | |
Canada, Quebec | |
McGill University Health Center | |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4A3S9 |
Documents provided by Eric Lenze, Washington University School of Medicine:
Responsible Party: | Eric Lenze, Principal Investigator, Washington University School of Medicine |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT04668950 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
202011101 |
First Posted: | December 16, 2020 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | October 18, 2022 |
Last Update Posted: | October 31, 2022 |
Last Verified: | October 2022 |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.: | No |
fluvoxamine |
Coronavirus Infections Fluvoxamine COVID-19 Pneumonia, Viral Pneumonia Respiratory Tract Infections Infections Virus Diseases Coronaviridae Infections Nidovirales Infections RNA Virus Infections Lung Diseases Respiratory Tract Diseases Anti-Anxiety Agents Tranquilizing Agents |
Central Nervous System Depressants Physiological Effects of Drugs Psychotropic Drugs Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors Membrane Transport Modulators Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Neurotransmitter Agents Serotonin Agents Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation Antidepressive Agents Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2 Inhibitors Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19 Inhibitors |