Could a Drug for Cats Treat COVID?

Canadian researchers have discovered that a drug used to treat coronavirus infections in cats shows promise in helping COVID-19 patients. Under experimental conditions, the drug blocks the replication of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, called SARS-CoV-2, in infected human cells.

“This drug is very likely to work in humans, so we’re encouraged that it will be an effective antiviral treatment for COVID-19 patients,” said Joanne Lemieux, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Alberta. The research team published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications.

The drug, called GC376 is a protease inhibitor — a class of antiviral drugs that are widely used to treat infections such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. GC376 is used to treat feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), an immune-mediated disease triggered by infection with a type of coronavirus. FIP is a major problem in environments where many cats are kept together in a confined space such as catteries, shelters, and pet stores.

Lemieux and colleagues demonstrated that the FIP drug GC376 was able to interfere with SARS-CoV-2 proliferation in human cell lines.

“We determined the three-dimensional shape of the protease with the drug in the active site pocket, showing the mechanism of inhibition,” Lemieux added. “This will allow…