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HONG KONG: An affordable antimicrobial drug used to treat stomach ulcers and bacterial infections has shown promise in fighting coronavirus in animals, Hong Kong scientists announced on Monday (October 12).
The researchers set out to explore whether metaldrugs, metal-containing compounds most commonly used against bacteria, might also have antiviral properties that could fight the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
Using Syrian hamsters as test subjects, they found that one of the drugs, ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC), was “a potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent.”
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“Red blood cells can reduce the viral load in the infected hamster’s lung tenfold,” University of Hong Kong researcher Runming Wang told reporters on Monday (October 12) as the team presented their study.
“Our findings demonstrate that RBC is a potential anti-viral agent for COVID-19.”
The coronavirus has killed more than a million people since it first appeared in China last December and then spread around the world.
As scientists scramble to find a vaccine, they have also been examining readily available drugs that could ease symptoms caused by COVID-19 disease or help the body fight infections.
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Both remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, and dexamethasone, a type of corticosteroid, have been found to have some success against the virus. Both were used by doctors to treat US President Donald Trump after he contracted COVID-19.
But they have drawbacks.
Remdesivir is expensive and there is a worldwide shortage, while dexamethasone has immunosuppressive effects that are risky for all but the sickest patients. Other drug cocktails have shown that liver damage can be a risk.
The Hong Kong scientists said that red blood cells were a commonly available medicine used against stomach ulcers with a safe and comprehensive pharmacological profile.
“It has been used for decades, so it is quite safe,” Wang said.
They added that their research, which has been published in the journal Nature Microbiology, suggested that other metal drugs might also be successful against the virus and should be explored further.
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