In a new study, researchers found that an affordable anti-microbial drug used to treat stomach ulcers and bacterial infections could fight COVID-19 in animals.
The research was conducted by a team at Hong Kong University.
COVID-19 has killed more than a million people since it first emerged in China last December and then spread across the globe.
As scientists scramble to find a vaccine, they have also been examining readily available drugs that may reduce symptoms caused by COVID-19 or help the body fight infection.
Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, and dexamethasone, a type of corticosteroid, have both been identified as a potential treatment against the virus.
In the study, the team aimed to explore whether metallodrugs—compounds containing metal that are more commonly used against bacteria—have anti-viral properties that could fight the COVID-19 virus.
They used Syrian hamsters as test subjects and found that one of the drugs, ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC), showed an anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect.
They found the drug could lower the viral load in the lung of the infected hamster. It can be a potential anti-viral agent for Covid-19.
The researchers say RBC is a commonly available drug used against stomach ulcers with a safe and comprehensive pharmacological profile. It’s been used for decades so it’s pretty safe.
They suggest that other metallodrugs may also fight against the virus and should be further tested.
One author of the study is Hong Kong University researcher Runming Wang.
The study is published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
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