In vitro testing of combined hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin on SARS-CoV-2 shows synergistic effect

Microb Pathog. 2020 Aug:145:104228. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104228. Epub 2020 Apr 25.

Abstract

Human coronaviruses SARS-CoV-2 appeared at the end of 2019 and led to a pandemic with high morbidity and mortality. As there are currently no effective drugs targeting this virus, drug repurposing represents a short-term strategy to treat millions of infected patients at low costs. Hydroxychloroquine showed an antiviral effect in vitro. In vivo it showed efficacy, especially when combined with azithromycin in a preliminary clinical trial. Here we demonstrate that the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin has a synergistic effect in vitro on SARS-CoV-2 at concentrations compatible with that obtained in human lung.

Keywords: 2019-nCoV; Azithromycin; COVID-19; Hydroxychloroquine; SARS-CoV-2; Vero E6.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • Azithromycin / pharmacology*
  • Betacoronavirus / drug effects*
  • COVID-19
  • Cell Line
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Drug Repositioning
  • Drug Synergism
  • Drug Therapy, Combination / methods
  • Humans
  • Hydroxychloroquine / pharmacology*
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Vero Cells
  • Virus Replication / drug effects

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Hydroxychloroquine
  • Azithromycin