S-217622, a SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor, decreases viral load and ameliorates COVID-19 severity in hamsters.

ABSTRACT: In parallel with vaccination, oral antiviral agents are highly anticipated to act as countermeasures for the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Oral antiviral medication demands not only high antiviral activity but also target specificity, favorable oral bioavailability, and high metabolic stability. Although a large number of compounds have been identified as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, few have proven to be effective in vivo. Here, we show that oral administration of S-217622 (ensitrelvir), an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^pro; also known as 3C-like protease), decreases viral load and ameliorates disease severity in SARS-CoV-2-infected hamster

SUBMITTER: Sasaki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9765455 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature