LERONLIMAB

What is leronlimab?

Leronlimab is a medication used to treat the human immunodeficient virus (HIV). It works by blocking the entry of HIV into cells, halting the virus’s replication [1]. The FDA does not approve Leronlimab, which is currently an investigational product. The timing of FDA approval is currently unknown.

Can leronlimab be used in long-COVID?

Since leronlimab is an antiviral medication, researchers theorize it may play a role in treating long-COVID. Patients with long-COVID often deal with symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive dysfunction. These symptoms may occur following initial recovery from a COVID-19 episode or persist from the initial illness [2]. Although not actively infected, patients with long-COVID are thought to shed the virus in the body continuously. This constant shedding leads to an overresponse of the immune system, causing increased inflammation.

Leronlimab is thought to bind to a protein that increases inflammation. This binding helps regulate the immune response to COVID-19, thereby slowing inflammation [3]. One study concluded that the immune response normalized in patients treated with leronlimab [4].

Further research needs to be conducted to prove the use of leronlimab in long-term COVID; however, early studies show promise. Leronlimab, unlike other therapies that only treat symptoms, may help eradicate the virus from the body.

References:

¹https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/drugs/leronlimab/patient

²https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-Post_COVID-19_condition-Clinical_case_definition-2021.1

 ³https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8277229/

⁴https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9659683/