Scientists at Rutgers Health have developed a new COVID-19 drug that could be a powerful alternative to Paxlovid, the most commonly used oral treatment for the virus.
This new drug, called Jun13296, may solve some of the biggest problems with current treatments—especially for people who take other medications.
The research, led by Professor Jun Wang from Rutgers University’s Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, was recently published in Nature Communications.
Wang explained that while Jun13296, like Paxlovid, is taken by mouth and fights the virus directly, it targets a different part of the virus—called papain-like protease (PLpro)—instead of the main protease that Paxlovid targets.
One major advantage of Jun13296 is that it works on its own and doesn’t need to be combined with another drug, ritonavir, which is required to boost Paxlovid’s effects.
Ritonavir can cause side effects and interfere with other medications, making Paxlovid unsafe for many people with conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
In lab studies and animal tests, Jun13296 proved to be even more effective than Rutgers’ earlier version of the drug.
Infected mice treated with Jun13296 had a 90% survival rate, compared to 40% for those given the older version and 0% for untreated mice. The drug also worked well at low doses—about one-third of the dose needed for the earlier compound—and showed strong results in lowering virus levels and reducing lung inflammation.
Importantly, Jun13296 remained effective against versions of the virus that have become resistant to Paxlovid. The team also found that the drug does not interfere with the body’s ability to break down other medications, meaning it is less likely to cause side effects or drug interactions.
Another bonus is that this new drug works at lower doses than Paxlovid, which often needs to be given in much higher amounts to achieve similar results. Lower doses may reduce the chance of serious side effects for patients.
Despite the promising results, moving Jun13296 into human trials will require significant funding—something academic labs usually don’t have. Wang and his team are now looking to partner with pharmaceutical companies or nonprofit groups to help carry the drug through the next stages of development, including studies required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As COVID-19 continues to change, researchers believe it’s important to have more treatment options ready. Even if Jun13296 isn’t needed right away, having it tested and ready could be vital if new, drug-resistant variants emerge. The same research methods used in developing Jun13296 could also help fight other viruses like the flu or enteroviruses in the future.
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