Phase 2 clinical trial of Niclosamide drug for treatment of COVID-19 patients begins to evaluate efficacy
New
Delhi,
June
06:
The
CSIR
and
Laxai
Life
Sciences
Private
Limited
have
initiated
phase
II
clinical
trials
of
anti-helminitic
drug
'Niclosamide' for
the
treatment
of
COVID-19
patients,
a
statement
said
on
Sunday.
The
trial
is
a
multi-centric,
randomised,
open
label
clinical
study
to
evaluate
the
efficacy,
safety
and
tolerability
of
Niclosamide
for
treating
hospitalised
COVID-19
patients.
Niclosamide has been extensively used in the past for treating tapeworm infection in adults as well as children. The safety profile of this drug has been tested over time and has been found safe for human consumption at different dose levels, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) said.
Ram Vishwakarma, advisor to Director General CSIR, pointed out that in a screen to identify drugs that can inhibit syncytia formation, Niclosamide was identified as a promising repurposed drug by a research group from King''s College London, which collaborated in this project.
The syncytia or fused cells observed in the lungs of patients with novel coronavirus infection probably result from the fusogenic activity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and Niclosamide can inhibit this syncytia formation.
Independently, a collaborative research between CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu and the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru had recently demonstrated that Niclosamide was also a potential SARS-CoV2 entry inhibitor, blocking the viral entry through pH dependent endocytic pathway.
Given these two independent experimental studies, Niclosamide has now emerged as a promising drug candidate for clinical trial in COVID-19 patients.
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Srivari Chandrashekhar, director, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) Hyderabad highlighted that the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) is being made by Laxai Life Sciences based on improved technology developed at IICT and the lab is a partner in this important clinical trial which could provide cost effective therapeutic options for patients if the ongoing trial is successful.
Ram Upadhayaya, CEO, Laxai Life Sciences noted that realising the potential of Niclosamide, efforts were initiated last year itself to undertake the clinical trials.
Having received approval from drug regulators, the clinical trial has been initiated this week at different sites and is expected to be completed within 8-12 weeks, the CSIR said.
Based on successful clinical evidence generated during the clinical trials in Indian studies, emergency use authorisation may be sought so that more treatment options are available to COVID-19 patients, it added.