The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Laxai Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. initiated a phase-II clinical trial for anti-helminthic drug Niclosamide for treatment of COVID-19, ANI reported on Sunday. 

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The trial will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Niclosamide for the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the ministry of science and technology said as per ANI. It will be a multi-centric, phase-II, randomized, open-label clinical study. 

Earlier this week, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd. had proposed the use of Niclosamide to treat COVID-19 patients. The company submitted a proposal for the administration of Niclosamide, Reliance said in its annual report.

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What is Niclosamide?

Niclosamide is an anti-helminthic drug, one which is used to expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other parasites from the body. Niclosamide has been primarily used to treat tapeworm in both adults and children. 

The safety profile of this drug has been tested over time and has been found safe for human consumption at different dose levels, ANI reports. 

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The story of Niclosamide:

The drug was discovered in the Bayer chemotherapy research laboratories in 1953. It was first developed as a molluscicide to kill snails, an intermediate host of schistosomiasis, and was marketed as Bayluscide in 1959, the US National Library of Medicine states. 

It was only in 1960 that scientists found that Niclosamide was effective against human tapeworm. The drug was approved by US FDA in 1982. It is listed in the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. Since then it is used for the safety of millions of people, the US National Library of Medicine adds. 

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It is only in the past few years that evidence has suggested that Niclosamide is a multifunctional drug. 

Studies say that Niclosmaide is effective against various cancers including in the breast and colon. 

According to ANI, Dr Shekhar C Mande, Director General, CSIR expressed happiness over the SEC recommendations to conduct this Phase II clinical trial using Niclosamide, which is generic, affordable drug and easily available in India.