In January 2021, Dr. Jeffrey Klausner and Dr. David Boulware brought together academic and governmental experts throughout the U.S. to discuss the potential use of fluvoxamine – a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is a strong sigma-1 receptor agonist – as a treatment that may effectively reduce cytokine production and prevent clinical deterioration for people with COVID-19. This group of experts reviewed the existing published literature on the use of fluvoxamine as an experimental COVID-19 treatment, as well as prior research on the potential mechanisms for anti-inflammatory effects of fluvoxamine, including for sepsis and other conditions. Investigators shared current trials underway and existing gaps in knowledge.
Facente Consulting was hired to take detailed notes of the discussion and decisions during the meeting, rapidly provide a summary of available data and expert recommendations to the group, and prepare a manuscript for peer-reviewed publication along with Drs. Angela Reiersen, Eric Lenze, Boulware and Klausner, all of whom have been at the forefront of studies to assess the potential of fluvoxamine to improve clinical outcomes for people infected with SARS-CoV-2. Within six months of publication in Drugs, the article was in the top 2% of downloaded articles of a similar age across all indexed journals worldwide.