Off-patent drug ‘an important weapon’ against COVID-19

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An off-patent drug that is used to treat liver disease could be an “important weapon” against COVID-19, according to a new study published last night.

The research, published in Nature, shows ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) can “lock” ACE2, the doorway through which SARS-CoV-2 enters, and because it targets the host cells and not the virus, it should protect against future new variants.

Dr Fotios Sampaziotis, from the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute at the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, led the research with Professor Ludovic Vallier from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité.

Dr Sampaziotis had previously been working with organoids to study diseases of the bile ducts and found that the FXR molecule, which is present in large amounts in these bile duct organoids, directly regulates ACE2.

They found UDCA, which is used to treat primary biliary cholangitis, “turns down” FXR and closes the ACE2 doorway.

In this new study, the team went on to find they could use the same approach to close the ACE2 doorway and prevent viral infection.