Conclusions
The full cellular, pre-clinical and clinical profile of pentoxifylline suggests that pentoxifylline could be effective in reducing the severity of lung injury in patients with COVID-19. These actions could reduce the need for critical care interventions and reduce the burden and mortality of COVID-19 in selected individuals.
If the theoretical and rheological therapeutic benefit of pentoxifylline for COVID-19 is clinically demonstrable, it may prove to be an inexpensive, and readily available, treatment strategy to target harmful cytokine excess in this disease.
We advocate urgent randomised trials of pentoxifylline for patients infected with SARS CoV-2.