New treatment for COVID-19 and its variants in development at UBC

“The compound is very effective in blocking the infection of human cells by SARS-COV-2 and variants, in addition to being very well tolerated by the cells”, informs Dr François Jean, professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at UBC.

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The COVID-19 vaccine seems to be emerging as the solution to get out of the pandemic.

Yet research efforts are not focused solely on vaccine development.

A new antiviral treatment

A team made up of researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC), the University of Sherbrooke, and Cornell University, has developed a promising new treatment to fight COVID-19 variants.

The drug, named N-0385, prevents SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, from entering our cells.

Doctor François Jean, virologist, professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at UBC, is leading this research project.

« The contribution of my working group was to demonstrate the antiviral properties and the effectiveness of this new molecule which we named N-0385 [et qui] works against SARS-COV-2 and variants of concern. »

This treatment is an antiviral agent that prevents the virus from entering cells. N-0385 blocks the ability of the coronavirus to invade human cells and consequently will limit the damage associated with the infection, and in addition block the disease caused by the virus, which is COVID-19, details the virologist.

This new treatment could also be used to prevent the spread of the disease: Since it is an entry inhibitor, molecules like N-0385 could be used as prophylactics, as an antiviral strategy to protect against exposure to variants, if the vaccines were found to be less effective against. new variants that are under development, suggests Dr François Jean.

A neglected line of research

Dr François Jean deplores the little investment that research collects for the development of treatments against COVID-19: Much effort has been focused on vaccine development, but little effort has been invested in the pharmaceutical industry in the development of antiviral agents..

« As a virologist, the ideal situation, for the whole population, would be to have access not only to vaccines, but also to antiviral agents, to the extent that the vaccines do not work, or to the extent that the drugs do not work. people could not or would not want to be vaccinated. »

Faced with the lack of funding, Dr François Jean and his team are seeking to release the funds to allow a clinical test of the drug, which has so far only been studied in mice. With my colleagues from Sherbrooke and Cornell, we are in communication with pharmaceutical companies and also Canadian and American organizations to seek additional funds to begin this clinical research there..

SARS-CoV-2, a “worrying” virus

The virologist has studied many viruses during his career, but the SARS-CoV-2 virus is of particular concern to him: As a virologist, I am really very concerned with the progression and dynamics associated with SARS-CoV-2 and the variants […] the evolutionary potential of this virus in humans is unheard of, he cares.

« One way out of all of this is to develop antiviral agents that have a very broad spectrum. Antiviral agents that work against current variants and may work against future variants. »

To counter future pandemics, Dr François Jean recommends investing in basic research, and in training future generations.

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