Retraction notice to Effect of early treatment with metformin on risk of emergency care and hospitalization among patients with COVID-19: the TOGETHER randomized platform clinical trial [The Lancet Regional Health–Americas Volume 6, February 2022, 100142]

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal).

In December 2021, The Lancet Regional Health-Americas published the results of the platform randomized TOGETHER trial, which evaluated the effect of early treatment with metformin on the risk of emergency care and hospitalization among patients with COVID-19.¹ In January, 2024, errors in the total population considered for the analysis were brought to our attention and we issued an Expression of concern.²

Following a thorough investigation in collaboration with the authors, we have confirmed that the number of primary outcome events reported in the Article was incorrect. This error, although unintentional, led to an inappropriate decision to stop the trial under the platform design rules. As a result, the integrity of the trial conduct and the reliability of the reported findings have been compromised. The interpretation of the trial is now inappropriate. The corrected number of events has modified the effect size and no longer supports the original conclusions. The interpretation of the trial results is now inappropriate and we are therefore retracting this Article.