COVID Pneumonia: How Can Erdosteine Help and What Did a Clinical Study Suggest?
When patients who have recovered from COVID pneumonia begin home treatment, they are often far from being symptom-free. General practitioners and outpatient pulmonologists often have to address these persistent symptoms. According to a study conducted by Recipharm, erdosteine may be a suitable adjunct treatment for these patients, even when they have negative COVID-19 tests. Why is this the case?
Symptoms Persisting After Recovered COVID Pneumonia
Patients who have experienced moderate to severe COVID pneumonia may exhibit the following persistent symptoms:
- Shortness of breath – both at rest and during exertion
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Ongoing deterioration in lung function and results of stress lung function tests
- Mental health issues
Reducing Shortness of Breath and Improving Quality of Life
A study focused on the role of erdosteine in treating COVID-19 was conducted from early April to late June 2020 in Milan, Italy, within the Lombardy region, an area heavily affected by the SARS-CoV-2 infection during the spring months. The study included 20 patients who had recovered from COVID pneumonia accompanied by severe respiratory failure. The average age of the study participants was 55 years, with some patients simultaneously treated for cardiovascular diseases, mostly hypertension, and a few for COPD or asthma. Clinically unstable chronic disease patients were excluded from the study.
The average hospitalization duration was 17.7 days, and all patients had 2 negative COVID-19 tests at discharge. Upon discharge, their usual chronic medication was supplemented with a 15-day course of erdosteine at a dose of 300 mg twice daily for home treatment. Persistent symptoms, including shortness of breath and limitations on daily activities, were continuously assessed using standardized questionnaires. It was observed that 15 days post-discharge, patients showed a clinically significant improvement in their health status.
Multifaceted Mechanism of Action of Erdosteine
SARS-CoV-2 infection induces oxidative stress and disrupts the body's antioxidant defense mechanisms. Concurrently, a cytokine storm and excessive inflammatory response may develop. These mechanisms collectively contribute to hypoxia and subsequent organ failure. Erdosteine mitigates these processes due to its multifaceted effects, particularly anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has been shown to enhance the body's antioxidant capacities, partly through its ability to increase the amount of glutathione, a crucial antioxidant in the respiratory system.
Given that COVID-19 has been present in the population for a relatively short time, conclusive treatment guidelines based on large patient samples are still lacking. Considering the multifaceted effects of erdosteine (mucolytic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and enhancing antibiotic penetration into tissues) and some known changes caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the body, one can infer a positive impact of erdosteine and its beneficial effect on healing lung tissue, as supported by the aforementioned study.
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Sources:
1. Santus P., Tursi F., Croce G. et al. Changes in quality of life and dyspnea after hospitalization in COVID-19 patients discharged at home. Multidiscip Respir Med 2020 Oct 13; 15 (1): 713, doi: 10.4081/mrm.2020.713.
2. Recipharm’s proprietary molecule Erdosteine to be tested as part of COVID-19 treatment. Recipharm, 2020. Available at: www.recipharm.com/press/recipharm%E2%80%99s-proprietary-molecule-erdosteine-be-tested-part-covid-19-treatment
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