Research team identifies potential drugs for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2

A federally approved cardiac medication shows significant efficacy in mixing SARS-CoV-2 into the human cell host, according to a new study by a research team from Texas A&M University and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).

The medication bepridil, which has the brand name Vascor, is currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of angina, a heart condition.

The leaders of the team are Professor of the College of Science, Wenshe Ray Liu, Professor and holder of the Gradipore Chair in the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M, and Chien-Te Kent Tseng, Professor and Director of the SARS / MERS / COVID -19 laboratory at UTMB. . Liu also holds joint faculty positions in Texas A & M’s colleges of medicine and agriculture and life sciences.

“Only one medication is currently available, Remdesivir, to offer COVID-19 patients limited benefits, and the virus can easily escape it,” Liu said. “It is essential to find alternative medicines. Our team has approved more than 30 FDA / European Medicines Agencies for their ability to inhibit SARS-COV-2 in human cells. The study found that bepridil offers the best potential for the treatment of COVID-19. As a result, we call for the 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 will be published on 9 March.

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