ABX464 (obefazimod) for patients with COVID-19 at risk for severe disease: miR-AGE, a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Background: ABX464 (obefazimod) is a small molecule that upregulates a single microRNA (miR-124) in immune cells and reduces the production of various inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.

Objective: We assessed the efficacy and safety of the standard of care (SoC) plus oral obefazimod (SoC plus ABX464), 50 mg once daily, versus the SoC plus placebo for prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who are at risk for severe disease.

Methods: Eligible patients for this phase 2/3 double-blind, placebo-controlled miR-AGE study were randomized (2:1) into 2 groups: SoC-ABX464 (n = 339) and SoC-placebo (n = 170).

Contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress to cellular premature senescence induced by antiretroviral thymidine analogues.

Objectives: Treatment of HIV-infected patients is associated with early onset of aging-related comorbidities. Some of the adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy have been attributed to the mitochondrial toxicity of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI), and it is of note that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are involved in the aging processes. In this regard, we examined whether NRTIs could accelerate the senescence of cultured cells.