Inhaled corticosteroids: A rapid review of the evidence for treatment or prevention of COVID-19, CEBM

This review aimed to synthesise the current literature on the role of inhaled corticosteroids in moderating the disease course or severity of COVID-19 disease. Inhaled ciclesonide has been shown to suppress SARS-CoV-2 replication in cultured cells and it is suggested that it exhibits direct acting anti-viral activity in addition to its intrinsic anti-inflammatory function. Inhaled ciclesonide has therefore been proposed as a candidate drug for treatment of patients suffering Covid19. However, further in vitro research is required to investigate whether this finding is replicable. Furthermore, at the time of writing, there have been no clinical trials or observational studies examining the use of ICS in COVID-19. Clinical trials would be required to establish whether these drugs may be repurposed for the treatment of this disease.
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news