The FDA has declined to authorize the common antidepressant fluvoxamine as a COVID-19 treatment.
Three things to know:
1. Fluvoxamine belongs to a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and was first approved in 1994.
2. Some early research suggests the drug has anti-inflammatory effects that could make it a useful COVID-19 treatment.
3. However, the agency said there is not enough data to support the drug's emergency use authorization for COVID-19.
"Based on the review of available scientific evidence, the FDA has determined that the data are insufficient to conclude that fluvoxamine may be effective in the treatment of nonhospitalized patients with COVID-19 to prevent progression to severe disease and/or hospitalization," the agency wrote in a memo released May 16.
View the full memo here.