Efficacy and safety of Aviron Rapid® in adolescents and children with viral acute upper respiratory tract infection: a multi-center, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Introduction : Acute upper respiratory tract infections (AURTIs) are associated with a significant burden on society attributed to medical care and loss of productivity. Novel therapies that are able to shorten disease duration, while providing symptom relief and being well tolerated, are an unmet medical need. Aim : The main objective of this trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of Aviron Rapid, a dietary supplement containing andrographolide, proprietary spirulina, and humic acid, in the management of AURTIs in adolescents and children. Materials and methods : This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted between January 2020 and March 2020 in 85 general practitioner practices in Bulgaria. Adolescents (13–17 years) and children (5–12 years) with a clinical diagnosis of AURTI were randomly assigned to receive standard symptomatic therapy + Aviron Rapid or placebo for 5 and 7 days, respectively. The primary endpoints of this trial were the number (and percentage) of clinically recovered patients and the mean disease duration. Results : In total, 380 adolescents and 401 children were enrolled in 2 age cohorts and randomly assigned to treatment with Aviron Rapid or placebo. The percentage of patients meeting the criteria for clinical recovery was significantly higher in the Aviron Rapid group compared with the placebo group from 24 and 48 hours after initiation of treatment in adolescents and children, respectively. Aviron Rapid treatment significantly reduced the duration of disease, of fever, and of antipyretics intake in both adolescents and children. When compared to placebo, a significantly higher percentage of adolescents and children on Aviron Rapid achieved a persistent decrease in temperature of less than 37°C as soon as 24 hours after starting treatment. Overall, a low number of adverse events was reported and no major differences in the incidence of individual adverse events were observed between the two treatment groups in both cohorts. Conclusions : This clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of Aviron Rapid in the management of acute upper respiratory tract infections in adolescents and children. Aviron Rapid treatment rapidly increased the number of clinically recovered patients and reduced overall disease duration and duration of symptoms, in particular fever, while being well tolerated. Trial registration : International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 12221500. Retrospectively registered on 29 March 2022. [https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12221500]