Low antiviral uptake of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir in adult patients with COVID-19 in Taiwan in 2022

Background: Antivirals are effective in reducing hospitalisation and death in mild-to-moderate coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) patients. We estimated the antiviral uptake of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir in adult patients with a syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) period in Taiwan. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Taiwan between January 2022 and December 2022. Patients aged ≥18 years with a SARS-CoV-2 infection were included from the Taipei Medical University Clinical Research Database (TMUCRD) and stratified in three risk groups according to World Health Organization criteria. Results: In total, 96 398 COVID-19 patients (mean age 46.7 ± 17.7 years, 45.8% male) were included. Of these patients 69.8% were classified as low risk, 29.8% as moderate risk, and 0.4% as high risk for progression to severe COVID-19. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was prescribed in 5.1% of the COVID-19 patients (low risk = 1.0%, moderate risk = 14.3%, high risk = 17.6%). Molnupiravir was prescribed in 1.9% of the COVID-19 patients (low risk = 0.1%, moderate risk = 5.8%, high risk = 6.9%). Conclusions: Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir were poorly used in the treatment of adult COVID-19 patients in Taiwan during the pandemic in 2022, especially in moderate-to-high risk groups for progression to severe COVID-19.