Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 1 (ACE1)
Angiotensin Conversion Enzyme 1 inhibitors (ACE-1 inhibitors), such as
enalapril and ramipril, and angiotensin receptor antagonists
(colloquially known as angiotensin blockers or ARBs), such as
candesartan and valsartan, could be of use in the prevention and
treatment of the symptoms of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2(also known as
2019-nCoV), the cause of the infection known as COVID 19 [30]. At
the moment (as of 21 March 2020) three related trials are listed on the
ICTRP website of the WHO, the International Clinical Trials Registry
Portal, as being planned or under way in China. The first, entitled
”Clinical characteristics difference between patients with and without
ACE1 treatment with 2019-nCoV infection in China” was published on 12
February and is stated to be recruiting; it is also listed on
clinicaltrials.gov. The other two are not recruiting: ”Recombinant human
angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (rhACE2) as a treatment for COVID-19
patients” (registered on 21 February but identifiedas withdrawn on
clinicaltrials.gov) and ”Clinical research on the effects of ACEIs /
ARBs on novel coronavirus pneumonia (CoVID-19) infection” (registered on
2 March) [31].