NIH RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY POTENTIAL NEW ANTIVIRAL DRUG FOR COVID-19

Fri 04 June 2021:

A study with cell cultures suggests that the experimental drug Tempol may be a promising antiviral treatment for COVID-19, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Thursday.

“Tempol can limit SARS-CoV-2 infection by impairing the activity of a viral enzyme called RNA replicase,” the NIH said in a press release.

RNA replicase allows the coronavirus to replicate its genome and make copies of itself once inside a cell, the release said.

In cell culture experiments with live coronavirus, the study team found that the drug can inhibit viral replication, the release added.

Tempol has previously been tested in animals as a treatment for other diseases. The study team plans on conducting additional animal studies and will seek opportunities to evaluate Tempol in a clinical study of COVID-19, according to the release.

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