Mol Psychiatry . Mechanisms of action of fluvoxamine for COVID-19: a historical review

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Mol Psychiatry


. 2022 Jan 7.
doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01432-3. Online ahead of print.
Mechanisms of action of fluvoxamine for COVID-19: a historical review


Yaeko Hashimoto ^{1 2} , Takuji Suzuki ¹ , Kenji Hashimoto ³



Affiliations

• PMID: 34997196
• DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01432-3

Abstract

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) accelerates the discovery of prophylactic and therapeutic drugs for persons infected with the virus. Drug repurposing for the COVID-19 pandemic has received particular attention. Increasing clinical data suggest that antidepressant use in early-stage subjects with COVID-19 might be associated with a reduced risk of intubation or death. Among the antidepressants, fluvoxamine is the most attractive drug for mild to moderate subjects with COVID-19. In this article, we review the mechanisms of action (i.e., serotonin transporter, sigma-1 receptor, and acid sphingomyelinase) of fluvoxamine for COVID-19. Furthermore, we discuss a possible link between maternal COVID-19 infection and a risk for neuropsychiatric disorders (i.e., autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia) in offspring.