Paper

Remdesivir-Ivermectin combination displays synergistic interaction with improved in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2

Ghaith Aljayyoussi, Ward, Steve A, Lopeman, Rose C, Breen, Alastair, Hong, W David, Caygill, Claire H, Patterson, Edward I, Hughes, Grant I, Biagini, Giancarlo A, Duggan, Jack, O'neill, Paul M, Jeffreys, Laura, Pennington, Shaun H, Owen, Andrew, Ardrey, Alison, Jinks, Jessica, Donnellan, Samantha

2021

Overview

A key element for the prevention and management of COVID-19 is the development of effective therapeutics. Drug combination strategies of repurposed drugs offer several advantages over monotherapies, including the potential to achieve greater efficacy, the potential to increase the therapeutic index of drugs and the potential to reduce the emergence of drug resistance. Here, we report on the in vitro synergistic interaction between two FDA approved drugs, remdesivir and ivermectin resulting in enhanced antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. These findings warrant further investigations into the clinical potential of this combination, together with studies to define the underlying mechanism. Competing Interest Statement A.O. is a Director of Tandem Nano Ltd. A.O. has received research funding from ViiV, Merck, Janssen and consultancy from Gilead. These associations had no influence over the content of the current manuscript. P.O.N. is currently engaged in a collaboration with Romark LLC but this interaction had no influence over the content of the current manuscript. No other conflicts are declared by the authors. Footnotes * Figure 2 updated, author list updated.

• Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press,Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• Subject: Anti-inflammatory agents / Antiviral activity / Antiviral agents / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Drug development / Drug resistance / Immunomodulation / Immunosuppressive agents / Inflammation / Ivermectin / Microbiology / Pandemics / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2