Inhaled and systemic heparin as a repurposed direct antiviral drug for prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Clin Med (Lond)
; 20(6): e218-e221, 2020 11.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-736876
ABSTRACT
Here, we advocate a highly favourable opportunity for the treatment of COVID-19 disease by repurposing a long-serving medical agent with an excellent history of clinical use, namely heparin. Heparin is best known as an anticoagulant, but it also exhibits direct antiviral activity against many enveloped viruses and has anti-inflammatory activity. The high incidence of thromboembolic events in COVID-19 patients suggests that coagulopathy plays an important role in the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. This already makes heparin a unique, potentially curative agent that can be used immediately to help resolve the ongoing crisis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease. We demonstrate here in vitro that heparin does indeed inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection. The three concurrent modes of activity of heparin (antiviral, anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory) against SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 form a unique therapeutic combination. Thus, repurposing of heparin to fight SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 appears to be a powerful, readily available measure to address the current pandemic.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Antiviral Agents
/
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Heparin
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
/
Anticoagulants
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Clin Med (Lond)
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Clinmed.2020-0351
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