Explained: Drug used for cat coronavirus on trial against SARS-CoV-2

A drug used for cat coronavirus is now being tested as a possible treatment for humans infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The University of Alberta, Canada, is set to launch human trials.

The drug is a protease inhibitor, which means that it interferes with the virus’s ability to replicate, thus blocking infection. It was first studied by University of Alberta researchers following the 2003 SARS outbreak. Later, it was developed by veterinary researchers who showed it cures a coronavirus-induced disease that is fatal in cats.

University of Alberta researchers, who have since studied how the drug works against SARS-CoV-2, have published their findings in Nature Communications.