A recent study led by a UCLA-led research team has identified verteporfin, an FDA-approved eye disease drug, as a possible treatment for COVID-19.
What is verteporfin?
Verteporfin is a medication often used in conjunction with laser treatment. The FDA approved it in 2002 to treat eye conditions such as choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration, pathological myopia, and presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome.
I need some background on the study.
Researchers were originally investigating the Hippo signaling pathway—which controls the size of organs in the body—in relation to the Zikus virus. After noting the pathway’s ability to stave off the virus, they sought to study its potential for fighting off SARS-CoV-2.
Tell me about the study.
Investigators analyzed tissue samples of people diagnosed with COVID-19, a cultured human heart, and lung cells to determine how healthy cells react to a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
They pre-treated healthy cells with verteporfin, which blocks a protein called Yes-associated protein (YAP) in choroidal neovascularization, and then re-infected the cells with SARS-CoV-2. (via)
What did they find?
The levels of coronavirus in the verteporfin-treated cells showed levels too low to be detectable. The Hippo pathway was shown to be activated within a few days of SARS-CoV-2 infection for both the original strain and Delta variant, suggesting that a verteporfin treatment could be applied prior to symptoms developing in order to minimize the severity of the disease.
The take home.
Investigators concluded that verteporfin might be a promising candidate for treating COVID-19. With the drug already FDA-approved, it could make initiating clinical trials to verify its safety and effectiveness easier.