Antidepressant fluvoxamine significantly reduces Covid-19 hospitalization

[Elderberry]

Mint by Sarah Toy, The Wall Street Journal  10/29/2021

Patients who received the low-cost and widely available drug were far less likely to be hospitalized in a clinical trial

A widely available antidepressant holds promise as a treatment for Covid-19, according to a new study.

Covid-19 patients who received fluvoxamine were significantly less likely to require hospitalization than those who didn’t, in the largest clinical trial evaluating the antidepressant’s effect on Covid-19 to date.

 Fluvoxamine belongs to a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. It is commonly used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder and is also prescribed for depression. In use for decades, fluvoxamine has been shown to be safe and costs about $4 for a 10-day course, said Edward Mills, one of the study’s lead researchers and a professor of health sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He said fluvoxamine’s low cost and wide availability make it a compelling alternative to other Covid-19 therapies including monoclonal antibody treatments, which are costly and require an infusion. Another treatment, Merck & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP’s experimental molnupiravir pill, will cost the U.S. government around $700 per course in the U.S.

“For both poor countries and even wealthy countries, it’s a great option," Dr. Mills said of fluvoxamine.

Past research suggests that fluvoxamine has anti-inflammatory properties, though scientists are still unsure of exactly how it works against Covid-19, said Dr. Mills. The drug may help blunt the out-of-control inflammation that can cause severe disease in Covid-19, he said.

More: https://www.livemint.com/science/health/antidepressant-fluvoxamine-significantly-reduces-covid-19-hospitalization-11635433309574.html

[Kamaji]

Any clues on the mechanism of effectiveness?

[Elderberry]

Any clues on the mechanism of effectiveness?

Past research suggests that fluvoxamine has anti-inflammatory properties, though scientists are still unsure of exactly how it works against Covid-19, said Dr. Mills. The drug may help blunt the out-of-control inflammation that can cause severe disease in Covid-19, he said.

[Kamaji]

Very interesting.  Have they drilled down on its precise mode of anti-inflammatory action?

I'm asking because, if I recall correctly, the severe/lethal cases of COVID are generally caused by a cytokine storm and hyperactivation of the complement side of the immune system, and that certain drugs, like hydroxychloroquine, appear to temper or reduce the activation of the complement system, thereby modulating the effect of COVID.

I wonder if fluvoxamine has a similar mode of action, or if it is a broader spectrum anti-inflammatory.

At any rate, it seems clear beyond any peradventure by now that a spectrum of anti-inflammatories have a decent effect on tamping down the worst effects of COVID-19, and - to me at least - it seems quasi-criminal that there isn't a Warp Speed 2.0 program in place to investigate the benefits of all known anti-inflammatories.

Instead, we continue to worship at the altar of novel vaccines and novel therapeutics.