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Abstract
Objective: We proposed, before summer 2020, that cationic amphiphilic psychotropic and antihistaminic drugs could protect psychiatric patients from SARS-CoV-2 infection based upon clinical observations. At that time, experimental in vitro data on SARS-CoV-2 were missing.
Methods: Open high-throughput screening results are now available at the NCATS COVID19 portal and it is possible to investigate again our initial hypothesis using simple chemoinformatics approaches but this time with in vitro data on SARS-CoV-2.
Results and Discussion: We here revisit our hypothesis in the light of SARS-CoV-2 experimental screening results and propose that several cationic amphiphilic psychotropic and antihistaminic drugs could possibly protect people from SARS-CoV-2 infection; some of these molecules have very limited adverse effects and could eventually be used as prophylactic drugs. Further, recent analysis of electronic health records reported by other research groups, including drug combinations, also suggest that a small list of molecules could be of interest at different stages of the disease progression. Taken together, these observations suggest that clinical trials are now needed to fully evaluate the potentials of these molecules.
