Small molecule therapy to treat patients infected with COVID-19 virus.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The majority of people infected with the COVID-19 virus experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. The FDA has authorized several vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infection, limited treatment options are available for those who are already infected. Those infected who are susceptible to severe disease are often treated with dexamethasone and tocilizumab. Those on ventilators are treated with various cocktails of remdesivir, dexamethasone plus remdesivir, or dexamethasone alone. Unfortunately, these treatment options have limited efficacy; hence there is a need for new medicines for this deadly infection.
Emory researchers have examined the use of R-propranolol (a current FDA-approved drug used for high blood pressure) and honokiol (isolated from the Magnolia tree) for the treatment of COVID-19 infection and subsequent cytokine storm. Researchers found treatment of R-propranolol inhibited replication of SARS-CoV-2 (IC50 = 12.25). Treatment of honokiol, which is known to have anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects, demonstrated over 50% reduced viability and 70% cell toxicity at 50 uM concentration. FDA approval of either of these inhibitors could decrease the high mortality rate associated with severe COVID-19 infection.
In vitro studies underway.