HIV drug could prevent coronaviruses, if given at right concentration: Study

The latest research by the University of Bristol suggests that an HIV drug could stop many coronavirus diseases, including the SARS-CoV-2 variants. The study mentioned that the process could deliver results when given to infected cells at the right concentration.

The findings, published in the study Antiviral Research on December 5, stated that the drug has the potential to expand the existing arsenal of medications to combat current and future coronavirus epidemics.

The research team has previously shown that a booster drug (cobicistat) could have antiviral properties against a SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in Europe in early 2020. The drug is normally used to reinforce the effect of anti-HIV drugs.

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The researchers have studied whether or not the anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties of cobicistat were maintained against the key variants of concern (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, including Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

MERS-CoV is spread over the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, with a fatality rate of over 30 per cent with no vaccine or specialised treatments now available.

The researchers also compared cobicistat's effects to those of ritonavir, which is a structurally related chemical that is also one of the components of Paxlovid.

Notably, Paxlovidis the current gold standard for antiviral treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

To carry out the research, the team used automated image analysis for a screening and parallel comparison of the anti-coronavirus effects of cobicistat and ritonavir.

They found that cobicistat and ritonavir both act against all eight VOCs of SARS-CoV-2 that were tested against other human coronaviruses. The study noted that cobicistat is more powerful than ritonavir.

"Both drugs displayed anti-coronavirus activity in vitro at dosages that are well tolerated, but higher than those currently used for booster activity of anti-HIV drugs and in Paxlovid," the study noted.

Dr Iart Luca Shytaj, Lecturer in the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and one of the paper's corresponding authors, said: "Our results indicate that cobicistat, at dosages above its typical clinical use as a booster, could become an effective antiviral drug both on its own and in combination with other antivirals and lead to more potent treatments than current available options."

"If our findings are confirmed in animal and clinical studies, our results could strengthen the arsenal of antiviral drugs in the fight against current and future outbreaks of coronaviruses and reduce their impact on public health globally," Shytaj added.