A medication originally developed for celiac disease may offer new hope in treating a rare but serious post-Covid complication in children known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), according to a new study published in Science Translational Medicine.

The drug, larazotide, which helps strengthen intestinal barriers and prevent leakage of harmful substances into the bloodstream, has shown promising results in a small clinical trial involving children diagnosed with MIS-C. This condition, though rare, can occur weeks after a mild or asymptomatic Covid-19 infection and leads to high fevers, gastrointestinal distress, and sometimes life-threatening inflammation affecting the heart and other organs.

“While our study is small, its results are powerful and have implications not only for MIS-C, but potentially for long Covid as well,” said lead author Dr. Lael Yonker, co-director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Mass General Brigham. “Larazotide appears to be safe and effective in rapidly resolving symptoms in children with MIS-C.

”The trial involved 12 children in the early stages of MIS-C. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either larazotide or a placebo, four times daily over 21 days, and were monitored for six months. The children who received larazotide showed quicker resolution of gastrointestinal symptoms, faster clearance of lingering SARS-CoV-2 particles from the body, and a more rapid return to normal daily activities.

Unlike conventional anti-inflammatory drugs, which can have limited effectiveness and often result in symptom relapse, larazotide directly targets the gut, where lingering viral particles are believed to trigger immune overreactions.

Researchers are now conducting further clinical trials to evaluate whether larazotide could also help manage long Covid symptoms in both children and adults. The findings offer new therapeutic direction for post-Covid complications, particularly where traditional treatments fall short.

Sources https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/press-releases/clinical-trial-finds-safe-effective-treatment-for-children-with-severe-post-covid-syndrome#:~:text=A%20small%2C%20randomized%20clinical%20trial,published%20in%20Science%20Translational%20Medicine.

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