Ibudilast is a drug that has been used to treat asthma, but it is now being evaluated as a treatment for COVID-19. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe symptom of the coronavirus that can result in the loss of life. Researches at Yale are studying ibudilast as a possible treatment for this symptom. If it is successful, this medication could save lives.

About Ibudilast

Ibudilast is an MIF inhibitor. It regulates the MIF gene, which plays a role in the immune response. Too much of this response can result in cytokine storm and inflammation. It may also play a role in many conditions, such as asthma, ARDS, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

This drug has been approved in Korea and Japan for years as a treatment for asthma. In terms of the United States, MediciNova has been studying it for the treatment of neuroinflammation and MS. The current pandemic has paused this research in the effort to study ibudilast’s effects on COVID-19.

Yale’s Study

Yale’s Advanced Therapies Group, which has been created to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, is working on this study at Yale-New Haven Hospital. They will be working with MediciNova, who had been working with ibudilast before the pandemic.

Preclinical data has shown positive results in mouse models with ARDS, giving researchers hope for their upcoming trial, which will test for safety and efficacy. This trial will be placebo-controlled.

Researchers hope that this drug will be successful in preventing ARDS, as it would save the lives of many.

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