The findings suggest that people with known exposures could also potentially take the drug to prevent getting sick.
As SARS-COV-2 infection cases continue to rise in the United States and throughout the world, limited treatment options for patients infected with COVID-19 are available.
However, recent research from the University of Georgia indicates the possibility of developing a viable therapy to combat the disease, which has claimed over 4 million lives globally.
The study, which was published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, discovered that probenecid possesses wide antiviral effects, making it an ideal candidate for treating not only SARS-CoV-2 infection but also other prevalent and lethal respiratory viruses such as RSV and flu.
Probenecid is an FDA-approved medicine that is currently readily available in the United States. It is primarily used to treat gout. The medicine has been on the market for more than 40 years and is associated with few side effects.
“There’s really nothing out there to safely fight these viruses,” said Ralph Tripp, lead author of the study and GRA Eminent Scholar of Vaccine and Therapeutic Studies in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“This antiviral works for all RNA respiratory viruses we tested, including SARS-CoV-2. RSV, coronavirus and flu all circulate in the same season. Bottom line is you can potentially reduce infection and disease using this one oral drug.”
Viruses multiply and create more virus by coopting a person’s own cells. Probenecid inhibits the virus’s reproduction, preventing it from infecting the individual’s cells.
During clinical development, TrippBio demonstrated that the medicine acts as a preventive prior to virus infection and as a post-exposure therapy in animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and flu. Additionally, the medicine was seen to be effective against RSV in vitro, and in vivo investigations are underway.
Although the medicine would be used largely once a person tests positive for the virus, the prophylactic findings suggest that persons with known exposures could also use it to avoid becoming ill.
The current standard of care for critically ill COVID-19 patients, remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies, can only be administered intravenously. And by the time a COVID patient needs them, it’s often too late.
“These treatments have seen some effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, but they’re very expensive and very hard to come by,” Tripp said.
On the other hand, probenecid is commonly available. Patients could be prescribed a tablet by their primary care physician and pick it up at their neighbourhood pharmacy.
It is not uncommon for medications that have already been approved to be repurposed to address a specific need. For instance, remdesivir was initially meant to combat the Ebola virus, but after demonstrating some potential against coronaviruses, it was deployed to combat COVID-19.
Probenecid, in addition to preventing sickness before it begins, may potentially enhance the efficacy of other treatments. Because probenecid is already used to increase the efficacy of certain antibiotics, it is probable that the medication will also work in concert with other COVID-19 therapies.
The researchers are now determining the optimal dosage of probenecid for combating infections in humans. TrippBio intends to initiate clinical trials for the medicine this year.
“SARS-CoV-2, RSV and flu have a huge impact on health systems throughout the world,” Tripp said.
“Probenecid has a potent antiviral effect against these viruses, and it works safely.”
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