Repurposing approach of fluvoxamine for COVID-19

Fluvoxamine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994 for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and is now used to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions, including social anxiety disorder and depression. In addition to its neurocognitive effects, fluvoxamine has been noted to have anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting it may have a role in the treatment of diseases beyond the realm of the central nervous system. Although fluvoxamine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of any infection, there is emerging evidence that the drug may improve clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This paper reviews the pleiotropic properties of fluvoxamine and looks ahead, to explore how the drug may be used to treat the inflammatory sequelae of COVID-19 in the future.