CSI Principal Investigator, Dr. Anand Jeyasekharan, wasrecently involved in a pioneering study performed by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the United States and the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS). Findings from this study revealed that Topotecan, a chemotherapeutic drug, can reduce the severity and death rates of infection by SARS-CoV-2 and may potentially be used to treat patients with moderate to severe forms of Covid-19.

Dr. Jeyasekharan, co-author of the study, highlighted that the cancer drug is able to suppress inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 at a dose lower than typically used in cancer treatment. “With the drug used in cancer treatment for over 25 years, it is globally available and inexpensive, with a well-understood safety profile in humans. This research is therefore timely given the lack of universal access to vaccines,” he added.

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