In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers have turned to existing medicines to see whether they can be repurposed to treat COVID-19.
Antiviral medicines such as remdesivir and favipiravir that prevent the virus from reproducing itself are amongst many medicines being tested. Some cough syrups are even being investigated.
And surprisingly, the drug thalidomide is also being tested as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Thalidomide infamously caused thousands of birth defects to babies who were exposed to the drug after their mothers took it to treat morning sickness between 1958-1962.
Despite its dark past, the drug has been repurposed in recent years, and is an approved treatment for multiple myeloma and complications of leprosy.
Thalidomide was originally used as a sedative, and was later found to also be useful for treating severe morning sickness in the 1950s and 1960s. Tragically its use resulted in severe and rare birth defects in children, particularly to the limbs, but also damaged many other parts of the body.
Targeting inflammatory responses
Yet thalidomide has many different effects within the body – which is why researchers are looking at it as a potential COVID-19 treatment. For example, it can inhibit the immune system’s inflammatory response, making it effective against inflammatory conditions, including leprosy. It can also inhibit new blood vessel formation, making thalidomide potentially effective against cancers. It is currently approved to treat multiple myeloma.
The drug can also protect the lungs, and has been effective in treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This is a life-threatening condition where the alveoli (which exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules in the bloodstream) of the lungs are damaged, thickened and hardened, preventing them from working correctly. This leaves patients short of breath and with a persistent cough.