Publications by authors named "Sarah L Fenno"

Article Synopsis
  • - Metformin shows antiviral properties against SARS-CoV-2 by inhibiting protein translation through the mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway, leading to significant reductions in hospitalizations, emergency visits, and long COVID risk in the COVID-OUT trial.
  • - The COVID-OUT trial involved 999 participants and compared metformin, fluvoxamine, and ivermectin; it found a 3.6-fold reduction in viral load with metformin compared to placebo, and reduced rates of detectable viral load and viral rebound.
  • - The results indicate that metformin effectively lowers SARS-CoV-2 viral load, potentially explaining its clinical effectiveness, while neither ivermectin nor fluvoxamine showed significant benefits over placebo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development of decentralized clinical trials (DCT). DCT's are an important and pragmatic method for assessing health outcomes yet comprise only a minority of clinical trials, and few published methodologies exist. In this report, we detail the operational components of COVID-OUT, a decentralized, multicenter, quadruple-blinded, randomized trial that rapidly delivered study drugs nation-wide.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Observational and preclinical data suggest metformin may prevent severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes.

Purpose: We conducted a systematic review of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of metformin treatment for COVID-19 to determine whether metformin affects clinical or laboratory outcomes in individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and present a structured summary of preclinical data.

Study Selection: Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register, and ClinicalTrials.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Current antiviral treatment options for SARS-CoV-2 infections are not available globally, cannot be used with many medications, and are limited to virus-specific targets. Biophysical modeling of SARS-CoV-2 replication predicted that protein translation is an especially attractive target for antiviral therapy. Literature review identified metformin, widely known as a treatment for diabetes, as a potential suppressor of protein translation via targeting of the host mTor pathway.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Post-COVID-19 condition (also known as long COVID) is an emerging chronic illness potentially affecting millions of people. We aimed to evaluate whether outpatient COVID-19 treatment with metformin, ivermectin, or fluvoxamine soon after SARS-CoV-2 infection could reduce the risk of long COVID.

Methods: We conducted a decentralised, randomised, quadruple-blind, parallel-group, phase 3 trial (COVID-OUT) at six sites in the USA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination has decreasing protection from acquiring any infection with emergence of new variants; however, vaccination continues to protect against progression to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The impact of vaccination status on symptoms over time is less clear.

Methods: Within a randomized trial on early outpatient COVID-19 therapy testing metformin, ivermectin, and/or fluvoxamine, participants recorded symptoms daily for 14 days.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Early treatment to prevent severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is an important component of the comprehensive response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.

Methods: In this phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we used a 2-by-3 factorial design to test the effectiveness of three repurposed drugs - metformin, ivermectin, and fluvoxamine - in preventing serious SARS-CoV-2 infection in nonhospitalized adults who had been enrolled within 3 days after a confirmed diagnosis of infection and less than 7 days after the onset of symptoms. The patients were between the ages of 30 and 85 years, and all had either overweight or obesity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF