Time to Sustained Recovery Among Outpatients With COVID-19 Receiving Montelukast vs Placebo: The ACTIV-6 Randomized Clinical Trial

JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Oct 1;7(10):e2439332. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.39332.

Abstract

Importance: The effect of montelukast in reducing symptom duration among outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 is uncertain.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of montelukast compared with placebo in treating outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19.

Design, setting, and participants: This randomized clinical trial (Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines [ACTIV]-6) was conducted from January 27 through June 23, 2023, during the circulation of Omicron subvariants. Participants aged 30 years or older with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 2 or more acute COVID-19 symptoms for less than 7 days were included across 104 US sites.

Interventions: Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive montelukast, 10 mg once daily, or matched placebo for 14 days.

Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome was time to sustained recovery (defined as ≥3 consecutive days without symptoms). Secondary outcomes included time to death; time to hospitalization or death; a composite of health care utilization events (hospitalization, urgent care clinic visit, emergency department visit, or death); COVID-19 clinical progression scale score; and difference in mean time unwell. A modified intention-to-treat approach was used for the analysis.

Results: Among 1250 participants who were randomized and received the study drug or placebo, the median age was 53 years (IQR, 42-62 years), 753 (60.2%) were female, and 704 (56.3%) reported receiving 2 or more doses of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Among 628 participants who received montelukast and 622 who received placebo, differences in time to sustained recovery were not observed (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.02; 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.92-1.12; P = .63 for efficacy). Unadjusted median time to sustained recovery was 10 days (95% CI, 10-11 days) in both groups. No deaths occurred, and hospitalizations were reported for 2 participants (0.3%) in each group; the composite of health care utilization events was reported for 18 participants (2.9%) in the montelukast group and 18 (2.9%) in the placebo group (AHR, 1.01; 95% CrI, 0.45-1.84; P = .48 for efficacy). Five participants (0.4%) experienced serious adverse events (3 [0.5%] in the montelukast group and 2 [0.3%] in the placebo group).

Conclusions and relevance: In this randomized clinical trial of outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19, treatment with montelukast did not reduce duration of COVID-19 symptoms. These findings do not support the use of montelukast for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04885530.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetates* / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • COVID-19*
  • Cyclopropanes* / therapeutic use
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Leukotriene Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Outpatients / statistics & numerical data
  • Quinolines* / therapeutic use
  • SARS-CoV-2*
  • Sulfides*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • montelukast
  • Acetates
  • Sulfides
  • Quinolines
  • Cyclopropanes
  • Leukotriene Antagonists

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04885530