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Researchers have highlighted the potential of an HIV drug to halt various coronavirus strains, including SARS-CoV-2 variants, within infected cells at specific concentrations.
This particular study, published in Antiviral Research, delved into the capabilities of “cobicistat,” a booster drug in the realm of anti-HIV medications. They investigated its antiviral properties against a SARS-CoV-2 variant prevalent in Europe early in 2020, and subsequently expanded the examination to encompass key variants of concern (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses like MERS-CoV.
MERS-CoV, prevalent in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia with a staggering mortality rate exceeding 30%, lacks a specific treatment or vaccine.
Comparisons were drawn between cobicistat and ritonavir, a structurally similar compound present in Paxlovid, the established gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 antiviral therapy. Employing automated image analysis for screening, researchers found both cobicistat and ritonavir to effectively combat all eight tested SARS-CoV-2 VOCs and various human coronaviruses, including MERS-CoV.
The research illuminated the potential repurposing of CYP3A inhibitors like ritonavir and, notably, cobicistat, as broadly effective anti-coronavirus agents. The team noted that these drugs exhibited anti-coronavirus activity in vitro at doses tolerable for patients, surpassing those typically used for boosting HIV drug activity and Paxlovid.
Interestingly, cobicistat demonstrated superior effectiveness compared to ritonavir in inhibiting coronavirus replication at these higher doses, either used alone or in combination with other medications.
