New Lab-Based Studies Show Two Existing Drugs Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 from Infecting Human Cells

New lab-based studies have shown that two existing drugs inhibit SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from infecting human cells in a dish. Both the drugs, Vacuolin-1 and Apilimod, originally developed years ago, target a large enzyme called PIKfyve kinase.

Before this study, little was known about this enzyme’s role in COVID-19 infection. The work, which will need to be replicated in human trials, suggests a potential new target for COVID-19 therapies. Vacuolin-1 was discovered years ago by Tomas Kirchhausen, study co-senior author, professor of cell biology in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA, USA) and professor of pediatrics at Boston Children's. Apilimod was developed by a company, AI Therapeutics, Inc. (Guilford, CT, USA).


In cell biology studies performed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Kirchhausen found that Apilimod worked extremely well in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in human cells in the lab. Additionally, a Gates Foundation study independently identified Apilimod as the best out of 13,000 compounds tested for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2. AI Therapeutics is now conducting a new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with Apilimod, known as LAM-002 in the study. The study will test Apilimod’s safety, tolerability and efficacy in reducing the amount of virus in about 140 patients with confirmed early-onset COVID-19. Jonathan Rothberg, AI Therapeutics' co founder, told WTNH News 8 that the company’s goal was to demonstrate that in only a few days the pill was able to stop the effects of the virus and prevent a COVID-19 infection.

“The FDA has just given us approval to test it as a potential cure for COVID-19 and only after we show efficacy will we use it as a chemical vaccine,” Rothberg told WTNH News 8.

Related Links:

Harvard Medical School
AI Therapeutics, Inc.