The University of Arizona and pharmaceutical company Sunshine Biopharma are developing medical technology to minimize the severity of coronavirus infections.
Protease inhibitors are molecules that stop a virus from multiplying and infecting new cells in the body. And researchers at UA, in a licensing collaboration with Sunshine Biopharma, have developed a PLpro protease inhibitor intended to stop coronavirus replication.
“So, essentially, for any drug discovery campaign, it takes three stages," he said.
Assistant professor Rui Xiong says they are currently in the discovery phase. Next steps will involve manufacturing and clinical trials.
Xiong also says the new molecule inhibitors would help patients who may not be able to tolerate another inhibitor, Paxlovid.
