Posted by Amodiaquine is a commonly used medicament for the treatment of malarial infections. It is a 4-aminoquinoline compound similar to chloroquine that has been widely studied in COVID-19 related research (https://cyclodextrinnews.com/2020/04/01/chloroquine-against-covid-19/). Amodiaquine has various side effects, but these are generally minor to moderate and are similar to those of chloroquine.
A research group led by Donald E. Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., the Founding Director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University found that subcutaneously delivered, SBECD solubilized amodiaquine effectively hinders SARS-CoV2 entry into cells. Syrian hamsters were given a subcutaneous injection the day before SARS-CoV-2 infection (intranasally with 1 * 103 PFU) and every day thereafter. Significant reduction of viral load in the lungs of amodiaquine treated hamsters (vs. control) was demonstrated by quantitative RT-PCR. Repurposing of this drug lead to a filed patent application of the invention (WO2021183463 – COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR TREATING CORONAVIRUS).
Amodiaquine is usually administered orally (also described the patent application), however, its bioavailability may show great variance despite its relatively high water solubility. Invasive (e.g. subcutaneous) administration may not be a widely accepted, patient friendly route, however the above example highlights the utility of SBECD showing potential in developing futher successful formulations of amodiaquine by incorporation into innovative liquid vehicles.