Readily available drugs and other interventions to potentially improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer.

To improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for cancer treatment, various strategies, including combination therapies with repurposed drugs, are being explored. Several readily available interventions with potential to enhance programmed death 1 (PD-1) blockade have been identified. However, these interventions often remain overlooked due to the lack of financial incentives for their development, making them financial orphans.

Fluvoxamine: A Review of Its Mechanism of Action and Its Role in COVID-19.

Fluvoxamine is a well-tolerated, widely available, inexpensive selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that has been shown in a small, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study to prevent clinical deterioration of patients with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Fluvoxamine is also an agonist for the sigma-1 receptor, through which it controls inflammation. We review here a body of literature that shows important mechanisms of action of fluvoxamine and other SSRIs that could play a role in COVID-19 treatment.

Repurposing Food and Drug Administration-Approved Drugs to Promote Antitumor Immunity.

There has been a major resurgence of interest in immune-based approaches to treat cancer, based largely on the success of checkpoint inhibitors (anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4, anti-programmed cell death 1, and anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 antibodies) in several malignancies. However, not all tumors respond to checkpoint therapy, and there is clearly a need for additional approaches for enhancing tumor immunity. We summarize the critical elements necessary for mounting an efficacious T-cell response to a tumor.