COVID Drugs Under Investigation

A number of drugs are in clinical trials today. Hopefully, they will be tested quickly and we will have preliminary results in a few months.

HIV Drugs (Antiretrovirals)

• Leronlimab is being used to treat COVID pneumonia. It’s being tested for HIV—and more recently COVID. It belongs to the entry inhibitor class of HIV drugs.

• Kaletra (Abbott), an HIV drug introduced in 1995. A good drug for HIV; did not help with COVID.

Other Antiviral Medications

• Remdesivir—(Gilead), developed originally for Ebola but didn’t do well. It is looking better for COVID and is in clinical trials and available for compassionate use (the sickest cases). Locally, URMC is a study site.

• Tamiflu—used for influenza. Some experience in China. Not in a clinical trial yet

Passive Immune Therapy

• Involves transfusion of plasma from people who have recovered from COVID. The so-called “convalescent plasma” has antibodies the help neutralize COVID virus and shorten the duration of illness and improve the chances of recover.-JAMA, journal of the AMA

Monoclonal Antibodies Used for Cancer/ Arthritis

• Tocilizumab (Actemra): an immune suppressive drug approved for rheumatoid arthiritis. In a clinical trial for COVID. Approved in China for COVID treatment.

• Leronlimab is being used to treat COVID pneumonia.

• Sarilumab (Kevzara; Rheumatoid arthritis) being studied in Buffalo.

Other agents—Chloriquine/ hydroxychloriquine

• The drug is approved in the US for malaria prevention/ treatment and for Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis.

  • March 30, 2020. The US FDA approved making the drug available to hospitals throughout the US. The approval is an emergency use authorization that makes the drug available for COVID.

  • An 8 week clinical trial from the University of Washington and NYU School of Medicine. Results are expected in summer 2020. This is a placebo-controlled trial of hydroxychloriquine in household contacts of COVID patients, so it will tell us a lot.