- A new drug type coronavirus is in clinical trials, with researchers studying the effectiveness in blocking the virus from infecting cells.
- PIKfyve kinase inhibitors such as vacuolin-1 and apilimod have been found in lab tests to block the SARS-CoV-2 virus from human cells.
- Scientists are now seeking to replicate the same results in human experiments.
Scientists from all over the world have come up with all sorts of ways to fight the new coronavirus, targeting the pathogen with various existing drugs and new compounds in an effort to prevent it from infecting cells. Some of these drugs failed in major tests, making hydroxychloroquine the most prominent failure to date. Others have shown some effectiveness, such as inhibitor, dexamethasone, and blood thinners. Several new treatments are still being tested and could yield results in the coming months. It is not just faxes where the world must end the pandemic. Effective COVID-19 therapies that can significantly reduce complications and deaths are also needed to help those people who will continue to become infected.
Researchers are now studying vacuolin-1 and apilimod, two similar drugs that may block the new coronavirus from infecting cells.
The drugs are not very new, Harvard Medical School explains. But they have been reimbursed for treatment of COVID-19.
Vacuolin-1 and apilimod were developed years ago and they target an enzyme called PIKfyve kinase. This enzyme has a role in the COVID-19 infection, which is why the drugs might work. Tomas Kirchhaused, professor of cell biology at the Blavatnik Institute at HMS and professor of pediatrics at Boston Children, discovered vacuolin-1 16 years ago. Apilimod was developed by LAM Therapeutics. The two drugs are similar and they can both block the Ebola virus, researchers found a few years ago. These studies were continued when the new coronavirus arrived, because Kirchhausen realized that the kinetics of cellular access in Ebola and COVID-19 are similar.
Published in PNAS, a case study explains that PIKfyve kinase inhibitors can prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 as the Zaire ebolavirus.
“Our findings show that targeting this kinase via an anti-anti-SARS-CoV-2 molecule may be an effective strategy to reduce the progression or seriousness of COVID-19,” said co-senior author Kirchhausen . “Within a week, we learned that apilimod worked extremely well to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in human cells in the lab. We found that like apilimod, vacuolin-1 is a very strong inhibitor of viral infection in the lab. “
Separately, a paper in Nature published a list of 12,000 clinical stage as FDA-approved small molecules that can inhibit the replication of the new coronavirus. Apilimod was one of the drugs included on that list.
AI Therapeutics tested apilimod in Phase 1 and 2 trials for the treatment of autoimmune conditions, but that drug failed to show efficacy. However, the tests claimed that the compound did not produce any significant side effects, even after more than a year of high doses.
The company received FDA approval this spring to see if apilimod could reduce the severity of COVID-19, with data from Kirchhausen’s early study initially published in pre-print form in bioRxiv, as well as other drug screens. AI Therapeutics then announced the start of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with apilimod in late July – the LAM-002 study.
The drug will be tested on 140 COVID-19 patients, with the company seeking to assess its safety, tolerability, and effectiveness in reducing viral load in patients.
Chris Smith began writing about gadgets as a hobby, and before he knew it, he was sharing his views on tech things with readers all over the world. Every time he does not write about gadgets, he manages to get away with it, even though he tries desperately. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
.
