Anti-Inflammatory Drug Not Effective as Treatment for “Long COVID” Symptoms

Treatment with colchicine for 26 days was not shown to improve functional capacity, respiratory measures, inflammatory markers, or patient-reported outcomes in adults with the chronic condition ‘long COVID,’ according to study results published in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the article, the study authors stated that, despite colchicine’s anti-inflammatory properties and some earlier research showing that treatment with the drug was associated with reduced hospitalization in this patient population, colchicine was not an effective therapy to manage symptoms associated with long COVID.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in India included 346 participants with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and ongoing symptoms with functional limitation or elevated inflammatory markers. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive treatment with either colchicine (0.5 mg once or twice daily, depending on body weight) or matching placebo for 26 weeks, with 1 year of follow-up. Functional outcomes, symptoms, respiratory tests, and biomarkers were assessed at 12, 26, and 52 weeks.

Key results from the study included the following:

• There was no significant difference in the primary end point, which was change in 6-minute walk distance at 52 weeks (35.5 meters for colchicine vs 30.0 meters for placebo; mean difference, 5.59 meters; 95% CI, –9.00 to 20.18).
• Secondary outcomes—including fatigue, dyspnea, quality of life, anxiety and depression scores, and C-reactive protein—did not differ meaningfully between groups across all time points.
• A statistically significant difference in FEV₁/FVC ratio favored colchicine treatment at 52 weeks, but the change was not clinically meaningful according to the study authors.
• Adverse events were similar between groups, and most were mild; 2 deaths occurred in the colchicine group and were judged unrelated to study treatment.

Source: Bassi A, Devasenapathy N, Thankachen SS, et al. Effectiveness of colchicine for the treatment of long COVID: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. Published online October 20, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.5408