Teicoplanin: an alternative drug for the treatment of coronavirus COVID-19?

Sophie Alexandra Baron (1) , Christian Devaux (2) , Philippe Colson (3) , Didier Raoult (3) , Jean-Marc Rolain (3)

1 AMU PHARM - Aix-Marseille Université - Faculté de pharmacie
2 VITROME - Vecteurs - Infections tropicales et méditerranéennes
3 MEPHI - Microbes évolution phylogénie et infections

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged from China causing pneumonia outbreaks, first in the Wuhan region of China and then spread worldwide because of its probable high transmission efficiency. Owing to the lack of efficient and specific treatments and the need to contain the epidemic, drug repurposing appears to be the best tool to find a therapeutic solution. Chloroquine, remdesivir, lopinavir, ribavirin and ritonavir have shown efficacy to inhibit coronavirus in vitro. Teicoplanin, an antibiotic used to treat staphylococcal infections, previously showed efficacy to inhibit the first stage of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) viral life cycle in human cells. This activity is conserved against SARS-Cov-2, thus placing teicoplanin as a potential treatment for patients with this virus.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Drug repurposing; Teicoplanin; COVID-19

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Bacteriology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Virology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Parasitology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Cardiology and cardiovascular system; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Emerging diseases; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Infectious diseases

Sophie Alexandra Baron, Christian Devaux, Philippe Colson, Didier Raoult, Jean-Marc Rolain. Teicoplanin: an alternative drug for the treatment of coronavirus COVID-19?. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 2020, pp.105944. ⟨10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105944⟩. ⟨hal-02517857⟩