Preprint Review Version 2 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Tucaresol: A Unique Oral Candidate Drug Ideally Accessible for Treatment of COVID-19 Disease

Version 1 : Received: 9 November 2022 / Approved: 11 November 2022 / Online: 11 November 2022 (07:52:38 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 28 November 2022 / Approved: 28 November 2022 / Online: 28 November 2022 (07:29:24 CET)
Version 3 : Received: 11 March 2023 / Approved: 14 March 2023 / Online: 14 March 2023 (08:51:05 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Penney, C. L., Zacharie, B., Duceppe, J. S. (2023). Tucaresol: A Unique Oral Candidate Drug Ideally Accessible for Treatment of COVID-19 Disease. Journal of Clinical Review & Case Reports, 8(4), 74-83. Penney, C. L., Zacharie, B., Duceppe, J. S. (2023). Tucaresol: A Unique Oral Candidate Drug Ideally Accessible for Treatment of COVID-19 Disease. Journal of Clinical Review & Case Reports, 8(4), 74-83.

Abstract

Abstract: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has significantly impacted world health and economic status. In response, much work has been undertaken to provide effective, safe vaccines, antibodies and antiviral drugs with which to address this pandemic. Treatment of a pandemic population presents multiple challenges in addition to the primary issue of drug efficacy and safety, such as large scale drug manufacture and distribution, drug stability, oral dosing and pharmacoeconomic considerations. Ideally, these factors must be addressed if new candidate drugs are to be advanced for treatment of large (pandemic) populations. Subsequently, new antivirals have reached the market but choices are few. According to the NIH Covid Treatment Guidelines, only three small molecule antiviral drugs are available to treat COVID-19 disease. As such, a significant part of the research towards discovery of new antiviral drugs has focused on screening and evaluation of ‘repurposed drugs’ or previously approved or clinical stage drugs. Yet, in spite of this increased research activity, one promising clinical stage candidate drug has received little attention regarding its potential as a monotherapy or component of combination therapy for treatment of COVID-19 disease. Tucaresol, with documented human safety and pharmacokinetic data, is an orally active, stable, small molecule amenable to large scale manufacture by a proprietary two-step synthesis developed by us. Tucaresol functions as a host-targeted antiviral by selective protection/reconstitution of CD4+ T helper cells as demonstrated in HIV patients and SIV macaques. In view of similarities between HIV and SARS-CoV-2, especially with respect to host CD4+ T helper cells, and the suitability of Tucaresol for facile treatment of pandemic populations, Tucaresol is presented herein for treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients but may also be useful for treatment of advanced disease accompanied by lymphopenia.

Keywords

Tucaresol; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; HIV; T helper cell; CD4 receptor

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Pharmacology and Toxicology

Comments (1)

Comment 1
Received: 28 November 2022
Commenter: Jean-Simon Duceppe
Commenter's Conflict of Interests: Author
Comment: The objective of our review article is to convince the reader that amongst the many approved and clinical stage drugs that have been studied for treatment of covid-19 disease and briefly reviewed in this article, one clinical stage candidate drug, Tucaresol initially targeted for treatment of HIV, accumulated enough clinical, preclinical and research data to warrant examination as a treatment for covid-19 disease. Furthermore, the case is made that Tucaresol is likely best suited for combination therapy with another antiviral agent with a mechanism distinct from Tucaresol. Currently there are few choices with the best one being a protease inhibitor. Two Science commentaries are cited in version 2 that combination therapy of the only approved protease inhibitor with a distinctly different (host-targeted) antiviral agent (Tucaresol) offers the possibility to delay development of protease inhibitor drug resistance. Another HIV reference from 2015 describes the role of immune T cells (protected by Tucaresol) in preventing viral rebound. This reference also supports combination therapy with Tucaresol. Three important additions to justify consideration of Tucaresol as a clinical stage "repurposed drug" to treat covid-19 disease with an antiviral protease inhibitor. Additionally, two corrections are made to this article along with two up-dates so that as the end of the year approaches, this article will be up-to-date as 2023 begins,   
Christopher Penney, Ph.D.    
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