Taiwan Identifies Five Potential COVID-19 Drugs from 3,000 Existing Medicines

Dr. Shang-Cheng Hung, Director and Distinguished Professor of Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica. Photo Courtesy: Academia Sinica

Considering how the healthcare systems are already overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of COVID-19 variants has led to new concerns globally. Although many vaccines and therapies have transpired quickly, more long term measures are needed to contain the pandemic.

In April 2020, Professor Shang-Cheng Hung, Director of the Genomics Research Center assembled colleagues and made a decision to sift through existing medicines to find candidates to treat COVID-19.

Five Shortlisted COVID-19 Candidates from 3,000 Medicines

A research team from Taiwan’s Academia Sinica published a study in the journal PNAS, implementing cell-based assays on 3,000 existing medicines to locate potential COVID-19 drugs.

The study was led by Shang-Cheng Hung in collaboration with Dr. Chi-Huey Wong, Distinguished Professor of Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica. Dr. Wong is a veteran in combating infectious diseases and renowned in Taiwan for leading the fight against SARS in 2003.

The team from Dr. Wong’s lab analyzed two types of drugs: small molecules and traditional herbal medicines. Approximately 2,855 drugs and 190 herbal medicines were put into a computer simulation to see the drug interaction with the virus’ protease and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzymes. With the assistance of the High Throughput Core Facility and P3 lab, the team brought the number down to 30.

The research team presents the result of the paper. Photo/Academia Sinica

The list was further narrowed down to 15 drugs that possessed anti-infective activity, ranging from 0.1 nM to 50 μM. To understand the efficacy of the selected drugs, animal testing was conducted using Golden Syrian hamsters. Each of the 15 drugs was given to the COVID-19 infected hamsters twice a day, and their lung tissues were examined on day 3.

The results identified five promising candidates; Malaria drug mefloquine, antiviral drug mentha haplocalyx, HIV drug nelfinavir, a herb called Perilla frutescens, and a fungus named Ganoderma lucidum.

Future Study

The team further intends to examine the mechanism of the drugs and then evaluate them in clinical trials. Besides, the five drugs will also be tested against COVID-19 variants to understand the efficacy and treatment dosage. Since Taiwan has fewer COVID-19 as compared to the rest of the world, Dr. Wong suggested that it would be best to perform the trials outside the country.

Related Article: With Olympics Just Months Away, Japan Plans for COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing

References

1. https://www.sinica.edu.tw/en/news/6774
2. https://www.pnas.org/content/118/5/e2021579118

Author

Tyler Chen

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