Abstract
Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected over 8 million people worldwide. We underscore the potential benefits of conducting a randomized open-label unblinded clinical trial to evaluate the role of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in the treatment of COVID-19. Some COVID-19 patients are characterized with cytokine storm syndrome that can cause severe and irreversible damage to organs leading to multi-organ failure and death. Therefore, it is critical to control both programmed cell death (apoptosis) and the hyper-immune inflammatory response in COVID-19 patients to reduce the rising morbidity and mortality. UDCA is an existing drug with proven safety profiles that can reduce inflammation and prevent cell death. National Geographic reported that, “China Promotes Bear Bile as Coronavirus Treatment”. Bear bile is rich in UDCA, comprising up to 40–50% of the total bile acid. UDCA is a logical and attainable replacement for bear bile that is available in pill form and merits clinical trial consideration.
Highlights
We underscore the potential benefits of conducting a randomized open-label unblinded clinical trial to evaluate the role of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in the treatment of COVID-19
One of the consensus observations emerging among COVID-19 patients is the systemic inflammation associated with disease severity [1]
There is mounting evidence showing that some COVID-19 patients are presenting with a cytokine storm syndrome similar to secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and is associated with the degree of disease severity [2]
Summary
We underscore the potential benefits of conducting a randomized open-label unblinded clinical trial to evaluate the role of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in the treatment of COVID-19. One of the consensus observations emerging among COVID-19 patients is the systemic inflammation associated with disease severity [1]. Several anti-inflammatory agents have been considered to reduce inflammation in COVID-19 patients [4].
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