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Psychotropic drug repurposing for COVID-19: a systematic review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

U. Isayeva*
Affiliation:
University of Cagliari, Section Of Psychiatry, Department Of Medical Sciences And Public Health, Cagliari, Italy University of Cagliari, Division Of Neuroscience, Department Of Biomedical Sciences, Cagliari, Italy
G. Fico
Affiliation:
University of Barcelona, Bipolar And Depressive Disorders Unit, Institute Of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
S. Gomes-Da-Costa
Affiliation:
University of Barcelona, Bipolar And Depressive Disorders Unit, Institute Of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
M. Sagué Villavella
Affiliation:
University of Barcelona, Bipolar And Depressive Disorders Unit, Institute Of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
A. Gimenez
Affiliation:
University of Barcelona, Bipolar And Depressive Disorders Unit, Institute Of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
M. Manchia
Affiliation:
University of Cagliari, Section Of Psychiatry, Department Of Medical Sciences And Public Health, Cagliari, Italy Dalhousie University, Department Of Pharmacology, Halifax, Canada
A. Murru
Affiliation:
University of Barcelona, Bipolar And Depressive Disorders Unit, Institute Of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Recently, several antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics have been suggested to have favorable effects in the treatment of COVID-19.

Objectives

The aim of this systematic review was to collect evidence from preclinical and clinical studies concerning the scientific evidence for the repurposing of psychotropic drugs in COVID-19 treatment.

Methods

Two independent authors searched PubMed-MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycInfo, Clinical Trial Registration Site US (ClinicalTrials.gov) databases, and reviewed the reference lists of articles for eligible articles published up to May 31st, 2021. All preclinical and clinical studies on the effect of any psychotropic drug on Sars-CoV-2 or patients with COVID-19 were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for the quality assessment of clinical studies. This systematic review adheres to the PRISMA guidelines.

Results

22 studies were included in the synthesis: 9 clinical studies, 9 preclinical studies, and 4 computational studies. The use of antidepressants, both SSRI and non-SSRI, was associated with a reduced risk of severe complications of COVID-19. Several antipsychotics showed an increased risk for both Sars-CoV-2 infection and severe complications during COVID-19.

Conclusions

The current evidence supports a potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 role for several antidepressants, while the evidence on mood stabilizers or antipsychotics remains controversial. Drug repurposing proved highly successful in response to the current pandemic and psychotropic medications are widely used in clinical practice with well-known safety and tolerability profiles, showing antiviral, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties, being perfect candidates for possible treatment of COVID-19. Further research will deliver optimized and specific therapeutic tools that will increase the preparedness of health systems for possible future epidemics.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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