MONTELUKAST

What is montelukast (Singulair)?

Montelukast is part of a class of medications known as leukotriene receptor antagonists. Leukotrienes, specifically LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4, are pro-inflammatory mediators heavily involved in the mechanisms behind asthma. When provoked, leukotrienes constrict the airways, making breathing harder. Montelukast works by blocking leukotrienes from closing the airways, making breathing easier. 

What is the relationship between montelukast and long-COVID?

For patients suffering from inflammatory respiratory symptoms of long-COVID such as wheezing, cough, exercise intolerance, and trouble breathing, montelukast may play a role in mitigating these symptoms [1]. Patients with COVID-19 have been found to have high levels of LTE4, a member of the leukotriene family, in the lung space. Montelukast could help decrease these levels. A pilot study conducted in long-COVID patients with cough lasting more than eight weeks found that adding montelukast decreased cough severity, decreased cough paroxysms per day, and a shorter duration of cough [2]. Although no formal recommendations for montelukast to treat long-COVID have been made, a more thorough clinical study is currently being conducted in Spain to examine the relationship between montelukast and cough in long-COVID patients [3].

References:

¹https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.784214/full

²https://doi.org/10.1186/s43168-022-00154-6

³https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04695704

Active Clinical Trials: Long COVID, montelukast | Card Results | ClinicalTrials.gov