FDA-approved gout drug – Probenecid – promises to fight viruses like COVID-19

Probenecid (pictured), a drug used to treat gout, has shown promise in fighting viruses like COVID-19 in a recent study

A drug used to treat gout could also help fight COVID-19, according to a new study.

Probenecid is a drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the condition that causes tenderness and pain in the joints.

Research published by a team at the University of Georgia reveals that the drug can also inhibit the replication of viral cells like SARS-CoV-2 – which causes Covid – and prevent infection.

There are currently limited treatments available for the virus, and many non-viral drugs have been studied as potential treatments.

The drug works by preventing viral cells from taking hold of a person’s cells and using them to replicate.

This prevents the virus from spreading throughout the body and therefore limits the chances of a person becoming seriously ill.

There aren’t many drugs on the market capable of doing this, with those currently used for Covid being more effective after infection.

The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Nature, believe that probenecid can fight other viruses as well, such as the common flu.

“There is really nothing to safely fight these viruses,” lead author Dr. Ralph Tripp, professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia, said in a statement.

“This antiviral works for all respiratory RNA viruses we have tested, including SARS-CoV-2. RSV, coronavirus, and influenza all circulate in the same season. Ultimately, you can potentially reduce infections and illnesses by using this oral medication alone.

Many drugs used in hospitals for COVID-19 treatments are monoclonal antibodies.

The drugs are controversial, as some doubt their effectiveness and are often only used when a person is in critical condition and hospitalized.

Researchers hope that probenecid can be used early in the infection process, long before a Covid patient becomes seriously ill with the virus.

“These treatments have shown some effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, but they are very expensive and very difficult to find,” said Tripp.

“In reality, there are only a handful of options that can actually be used due to cost, limited IV use, and lack of access. It is not very useful to the world.

Probenecid received FDA approval in 1979 and has since been widely used to treat patients with gout.

Researchers at the University of Georgia report that the drug has limited side effects and should be safe to use.

A variety of drugs that have received FDA approval for non-viral conditions have also been tested for their effectiveness in fighting COVID-19.

Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, recently gained public attention after some believed it could treat the virus after a study found it could inhibit replication of the virus – just like probenecid.

Health experts are skeptical of the drug’s ability to treat viruses in the real world because the concentrations used in the study are too high to be safe for humans.

The University of Minnesota recently launched a trial to test the effectiveness of ivermectin in fighting Covid, along with diabetes and an obsessive-compulsive disorder drug.

If proven effective, these drugs can have an impact on the medical world even beyond the current pandemic.

Generic versions of these drugs can be produced and distributed inexpensively around the world, allowing low-income countries easy access to these potentially effective treatments for a variety of viruses.