Repurposing Antimalarials to Tackle the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sanjeev Krishna; Yolanda Augustin; Jigang Wang; Chengchao Xu; Henry M Staines; Hans Platteeuw; Adeeba Kamarulzaman; Amadou Sall; Peter Kremsner

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2020.10.003

Repurposing Antimalarials to Tackle the COVID-19 Pandemic

Trends Parasitol. 2021 Jan;37(1):8-11. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.10.003. Epub 2020 Oct 19.

Authors

Sanjeev Krishna¹, Yolanda Augustin², Jigang Wang³, Chengchao Xu⁴, Henry M Staines², Hans Platteeuw⁵, Adeeba Kamarulzaman⁶, Amadou Sall⁷, Peter Kremsner⁸

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Diagnostics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK; Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address: s.krishna@sgul.ac.uk.
² Centre for Diagnostics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK.
³ Artemisinin Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
⁴ Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
⁵ Avivia BV, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia.
⁷ Institut Pasteur de Dakar, 36 Avenue Pasteur, B.P. 220 Dakar, Senegal.
⁸ Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon.

Abstract

Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have demonstrated in vitro inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Artemisinins have also shown anti-inflammatory effects, including inhibition of interleukin-6 (IL-6) that plays a key role in the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is now sufficient evidence for the effectiveness of ACTs, and in particular artesunate/pyronaridine, to support clinical studies for COVID-19 infections.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; antimalarial; antiviral; artesunate/pyronaridine; cytokine storm; drug repurposing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
Artemisinins / pharmacology
Artesunate / therapeutic use
COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
Cytokine Release Syndrome / drug therapy
Drug Combinations
Drug Repositioning*
Humans
Naphthyridines / therapeutic use
SARS-CoV-2 / drug effects

Substances

Antimalarials
Antiviral Agents
Artemisinins
Drug Combinations
Naphthyridines
Artesunate
artemisinin
pyronaridine

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding