A new antiviral drug called EIDD-2801 has shown promise in treating COVID-19, the infection caused by the new coronavirus, by reducing lung damage in animal studies. The drug is expected to undergo human clinical trials.
Worldwide, the new coronavirus has affected more than 1,347,400 and killed over 74,700 people so far. There are currently no antiviral drugs approved for the treatment of COVID-19.
Scientists have been playing a role in developing and testing the antiviral drug EIDD-2801.
The drug findings on the animal studies were published online Monday on the journal Science Translation Medicine.
The researchers found that EIDD-2801 could prevent severe lung injury in mice infected by the new coronavirus when used as a prophylactic.
EIDD-2801 is an orally available broad-spectrum antiviral drug, which is a form of another antiviral compound called EIDD-1931. It can be properly assimilated into the body to travel to the lungs and prevent lung injury.
Senior author and epidemiologist Ralph Baric said, “This new drug not only has a high potential for treating COVID-19 patients but also appears effective for the treatment of other serious coronavirus infections.”
The route of administration of EIDD-2801 is oral, while other potential coronavirus treatments are administered intravenously. Moreover, the oral drug can be used to treat mildly-ill patients or used as prophylaxis.
Lead antiviral scientist in the Mark Denison Lab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Andrea Pruijssers, said, “We are amazed at the ability of EIDD-1931 and -2801 to inhibit all tested coronaviruses and the potential for oral treatment of COVID-19.”
“This work shows the importance of ongoing National Institutes of Health (NIH) support for collaborative research to develop antivirals for all pandemic viruses, not just coronaviruses,” she added.
Denison was a senior author of a 2019 study that first reported that EIDD-1931 can block the replication of coronaviruses.
Remdesivir, another antiviral drug, has been undergoing human clinical trials. Maria Agostini, a scientist in Denison lab, demonstrated that viruses showing resistance to remdesivir have experienced higher inhibition from EIDD-1931.
George Painter, CEO of the nonprofit DRIVE (Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory), said, “Viruses that carry remdesivir resistance mutations are actually more susceptible to EIDD-1931 and vice versa, suggesting that the two drugs could be combined for greater efficacy and to prevent the emergence of resistance.”
Painter is also the director of the Emory Institute for Drug Development (EIDD), where EIDD-2801 was discovered.
The researchers said EIDD-2801 is expected to undergo human trials later this spring. They said the drug could limit the spread of COVID-19 as well as control future outbreaks of other coronaviruses if the human trials are successful.
“With three novel human coronaviruses emerging in the past 20 years, it is likely that we will continue to see more,” said first author and epidemiologist Timothy Sheahan, who is a collaborator in the Baric Lab. “EIDD-2801 holds promise to not only treat COVID-19 patients today but to treat new coronaviruses that may emerge in the future.”
