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The SARSCOV2 pandemic and the global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) urgently call for efficient and safe antiviral treatment strategies. A straightforward approach to speed up drug development at lower costs is drug repurposing. Anti fungal treatments and drugs to reduce depression have shown impressive results in killing off the virus.
A new study claims a common antidepressant and an anti fungal treatment used for decades could help treat Covid.
The anti fungal drug itraconazole, which is used to treat thrush and infected toenails showed impressive results in its ability to kill the virus in experiments.
Fluoxetine, the antidepressant better known as Prozac, was also effective, data shows.
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© Getty ImagesCovid treatment: Drugs to kill off virus
Itraconazole works against fungi by inhibiting cholesterol trafficking within the fungal cells and halts replication.
Similarly, against COVID-19, it can act against the virus too, researchers noted.
Itraconazole is also active against other respiratory viruses including influenza A and human rhinovirus.
Researchers also noted its interferon priming could be an additional mechanism allowing its antiviral action.
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In the study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, the two treatments worked by killing off COVID-19 by blocking the virus from growing and replicating in cells grown in a lab.
In fact, the treatments worked so well from growing and it was found that the combined therapy blocked production by more than 90 percent.
Researchers believe there is an availability of treatments which have been found to increase the likelihood of survival from COVID-19.
© Getty ImagesCovid treatment: Remdesivir
The new research offers hope that other drugs which are safe for humans can be repurposed to treat Covid.
Senior author Professor Ursula Rescher, of the University of Muenster, said: "A straightforward approach to speed up drug development at lower costs is repurposing.
"We tested the antiviral potential of the anti fungal itraconazole and the antidepressant fluoxetine on the production of infectious SARS-CoV-2 particles.
"We also evaluated the added benefit of a combinatory use of these host-directed drugs with the direct acting antiviral remdesivir.
"Drug treatments were well-tolerated and potently impaired viral replication."
What is remdesivir?
Remdesivir is an investigational antiviral drug that is being reported to potentially help fight against SARS-CoV 2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
It also shows activity in the lab and in animals against related coronaviruses including SARS and MERS-Co-V.
Remdesivir is an antiviral medication developed by the American biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences.