Cepharanthine: A Review of the Antiviral Potential of a Japanese-Approved Alopecia Drug in COVID-19

This review discusses the antiviral potential of cepharanthine against SARS-CoV-2, noting its effectiveness in preclinical models but presenting no new clinical results.

The researchers reviewed cepharanthine, a long-used bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, for its antiviral properties, including significant inhibition of SARS-CoV-2. They discussed cepharanthine's other pharmacological actions, highlighted plasma membrane fluidity as a key antiviral mechanism, and examined its safety, bioavailability, and potential for new clinical applications.

This review highlights cepharanthine as a promising candidate for COVID-19 treatment due to its antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and favorable pharmacokinetic and safety profile, but reports no new clinical results.

This review discusses the historical development, mechanisms of action, and potential new clinical applications of the drug cepharanthine, highlighting its multi-faceted pharmacological properties; it reports no new clinical results.

In this study, researchers found that cepharanthine significantly inhibited HSV-1 replication in vitro by interfering with specific signaling pathways, arresting the cell cycle, and inducing apoptosis in infected cells, highlighting its potential as an antiviral agent.