Nature Leprosy Drug Clofazimine Effectively Inhibits Coronaviruses

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Nature: Leprosy Drug Clofazimine Effectively
Inhibits Coronaviruses

On March 16, 2021, Kwok-Yung Yuen and his team from the University of Hong Kong
published a research paper in Nature titled Clofazimine broadly inhibits
coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2.

The study showed that Clofazimine, a drug originally used to treat leprosy, can
effectively combat new coronavirus infections in human cells and hamster models, and
has a synergistic effect with Remdesivir. Clofazimine can be taken orally and has a
comparatively low manufacturing cost. These characteristics make it a potentially
attractive drug candidate for the new coronavirus.

In this study, the research team studied the effectiveness of Clofazimine against
coronaviruses, which is a drug approved by the US FDA for marketing. It is used to treat
leprosy by interfering with the nucleic acid metabolism of leprosy bacillus. It is a
second-line anti-leprosy drug and used to treat tumor-type leprosy and borderline leprosy.
It is suitable for people who are allergic to sulfone drugs or when bacteria are resistant to
sulfones. It can control repeated attacks and it is not easy to cause leprosy reactions, so it
can be used when other drugs cause leprosy reactions and cannot continue to be used.

The research team found that Clofazimine can reduce the replication of two novel
coronaviruses (new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

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coronavirus MERS-CoV) in human lung tissue.

In the analysis of the antiviral activity of the drug, the research team observed that the
drug targets multiple steps in the replication of the new coronavirus, including interference
with the cell fusion process and the activity of viral helicase.

In the hamster model of new coronavirus infection, the use of Clofazimine before or after
virus exposure can significantly reduce the number of virus particles found in the lungs.

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When combined with Remdesivir, the two drugs have a synergistic effect in reducing virus
replication. Low-dose Remdesivir combined with Clofazimine can limit improved virus
control in hamster model.

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The research team pointed out that in both human cells and hamster
models, Clofazimine can effectively fight the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection,
and when combined with Remdesivir, it has a synergistic effect in reducing virus
replication. Clofazimine can be taken orally and the manufacturing cost is relatively low.
These characteristics make it a potentially attractive drug candidate for the new
coronavirus. More clinical studies are now needed to determine whether it has the
potential to become a candidate therapy.

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Reference:
Clofazimine broadly inhibits coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2