COVID-19 outcomes in kidney transplant recipients receiving a combination of sofosbuvir-daclatasvir treatment; a single-center study

Introduction: In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era, kidney transplantation recipients (KTRs) are at high risk due to using immunosuppressive drugs. Considering the lack of definitive cure for COVID-19, repurposing existing pharmaceuticals is a way to find an immediate medication. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the COVID-19 outcomes in KTRs, receiving combination of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir (SOF-DAC) treatment. Patients and Methods: This research was an observational study of 12 adult kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19, admitted to Shariati hospital, Tehran, Iran (October to December 2020). All the patients received a once-daily combination pill of SOF-DAC at a dose of 400/60 mg for 10 days. Results: Around October to December 2020, 12 adult KTR patients were recruited; four patients (33.3%) died and eight patients survived (66.7%). Acute kidney injury (AKI) secondary to COVID-19 was seen in 11 patients of the study population (91.7%), including four dead cases. Two of the three patients who underwent dialysis due to kidney complications, died. The laboratory results showed that the mean level of each parameter white blood cells (WBC), international normalized ratio (INR), C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, D-dimer on the last day of hospital stay was significantly different between two groups of survived and dead patients at a 95% confidence level (P<0.05). Conclusion: Sofosbuvir combined with DAC for treatment of KTRs with COVID-19 infection reduced the mortality rate. Further, this medication was safe. Patients tolerated it well, and no serious adverse effects were observed. Larger studies are needed to validate these results.