Anti-cholesterol drug could treat Covid-19

Scientists say Fenofibrate could reduce coronavirus infection by 70%

Scientists say there is a shortfall in drugs used to treat coronavirus while developing countries struggle to distribute vaccines. AFP

A drug normally used to treat abnormal levels of fat in the blood could reduce coronavirus infection by up to 70 per cent, a study has found.

Researchers said that a drug known as Fenofibrate “significantly” reduced infection levels in a lab-based trial using human cells.

In the peer-reviewed study published in medical journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, scientists in the UK and Italy tested a variety of drugs that were already licensed for medical use to determine how they could prevent infection.

Having identified Fenofibrate as a candidate, they then tested the efficacy of the drug in reducing infection in cells in the laboratory using the original variants of the virus.

They found the drug, which is normally used to treat high cholesterol, reduced infection by up to 70 per cent.

The researchers said early data showed that Fenofibrate could be effective against faster-spreading Alpha and Beta variants of coronavirus.

Dr Alan Richardson from Keele University in north-west England said the slow distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in poorer countries demonstrated why other treatments should be made available.

“Furthermore, whilst vaccination has been shown to reduce infection rates and severity of disease, we are as yet unsure of the strength and duration of the response,” he said.

“Therapies are still urgently needed to manage Covid-19 patients who develop symptoms or require hospitalisation.”

Dr Farhat Khanim from the University of Birmingham said there was “an urgent need to expand our arsenal of drugs” against coronavirus.

Dr Elisa Vicenzi from San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan added: “Given that Fenofibrate is an oral drug which is very cheap and available worldwide, together with its extensive history of clinical use and its good safety profile, our data has global implications.”

The scientists called for further studies to assess whether Fenofibrate was a viable treatment for Covid-19.