Aerosol drug found to inhibit activity of coronavirus
An international team of researchers from UK and Germany have identified a drug with the potential to provide relief from COVID-19 complications. Led by professors from the University of Kent, the Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main, and the Hannover Medical School, the researchers found that the drug compound, known as aprotinin, displayed inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2, in concentrations that can be tolerated in human patients.
In short, the approved protease inhibitor aprotinin stops the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells and may compensate for the loss of host cell protease inhibitors that are downregulated upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. As for possible treatment options, aprotinin aerosols, currently approved for use in Russia for the treatment of influenza, could be readily tested for the treatment of COVID-19.
“The aprotinin aerosol has been reported to be tolerated extremely well in influenza patients,” said Professor Martin Michaelis, from the School of Biosciences, University of Kent. “It may have a particular potential to prevent severe COVID-19 disease when applied early after diagnosis.”
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
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