Research team identifies potential drug to treat SARS-CoV-2

A federally approved heart drug shows significant effectiveness in interfering with the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the human host cell, according to a new study by a research team at Texas A&M University and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).

The drug bepridil, which goes by the brand name of Vascor, is currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat angina, a heart disease.

The team leaders are professor at the Wenshe Faculty of Science Ray Liu, professor and holder of the Gradipore Chair in the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry, and Chien-Te Kent Tseng, professor and director of the UTMB SARS / MERS / COVID-19 Laboratory. . Liu also held joint faculty positions at Texas A&M medical, agricultural and life sciences colleges.

“Only one drug is currently available, Remdesivir, to provide limited benefits to patients with COVID-19, and the virus can easily prevent it,” said Liu. “Finding alternative drugs is critical. Our team analyzed more than 30 drugs approved by the FDA / European Medicines Agency for their ability to inhibit the entry of SARS-COV-2 into human cells. The study found that bepridil offers the greatest potential for the treatment of COVID-19. As a result, we advocate serious consideration of the use of bepridil in clinical trials related to SARS-CoV-2. “

The Texas A & M-UTMB study is now available on the peer review website Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and is scheduled for print publication on March 9.

The team, which includes six other researchers from Texas A&M and four from UTMB, now plans to advance their work towards animal models with potential for clinical trials.