Antiviral Drug Used to Treat Cats May Also Work Against Covid-19, Say Scientists

A drug used to cure a deadly viral disease in cats may be effective as a treatment for humans against the novel coronavirus, according to a study that may lead to the development of new therapeutics to treat COVID-19.

According to the research, published in the journal Nature Communications, the drug is effective at inhibiting viral replication in lab-grown cells infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

"This drug is very likely to work in humans, so we're encouraged that it will be an effective antiviral treatment for COVID-19 patients," said Joanne Lemieux, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Alberta.