Early Treatment with a Peptide Derived from the Human Heat-Shock 60 Protein Avoids Progression to Severe Stages of COVID-19

Author(s): Hernández JEB, Martín ADR, Cruz LDR, Rodríguez RV, Cedeño MH, Diaz AS, Ruiz RP, Moynelo IE, Sordo TF, Adan AM, Mir JG, Mulet DS, Villanueva FS

Hyperinflammatory response induced by SARS-CoV-2 characterizes COVID-19 patients progressing to severe conditions. CIGB-258 is an immunoregulatory peptide with anti-inflammatory properties derived from the human stress protein 60 (HSP60). This peptide has been used in the treatment of serious and critically ill COVID-19 patients with positive results. This study is aimed to describe the outcomes of a cohort of moderately ill COVID-19 patients treated with CIGB-258. Clinical assessment and inflammation biomarkers indicated that these patients were progressing to the hyperinflammation phase. In addition, this study displays the outcomes of two other cohorts of COVID-19 patients in serious and critical conditions, treated with this molecule. One hundred and four patients with COVID-19 in moderate (18.3%), serious (60.6%) and critical (21.1%) conditions were enrolled in this study. None of the moderate patients progressed to the severe stage of the disease. Out of sixty-three seriously ill patients, only eleven progressed to a critical condition. These patients had several comorbidities that aggravated their clinical conditions.

Despite this, six of the patients who progressed to the critical condition recovered and were discharged from the hospitals. Out of twenty-two critically ill patients, only two died. Inflammatory biomarkers decreased after seven days of treatment. Also, IL-6 significantly decreased at 96 hours of the treatment. These results indicate that the early administration of CIGB-258 can improve the condition of moderately ill patients and avoid their progression to severe stages of COVID-19. This study confirms the capacity of this peptide to reduce the hyperinflammation characterizing this disease.

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