TEL AVIV – Israeli scientists have discovered that two drugs for treating Gaucher’s disease are also effective against the coronavirus, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
Scientists at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) tested an analogue of the FDA-approved drug Cerdelga, and an analogue of a second drug, Venglustat, which is currently in the advanced stage of clinical trials, a statement from the ministry said, adding the drugs could act as a broad-spectrum antiviral therapy in a second coronavirus wave.
IIRB’s study found “antiviral treatment using both drugs led to a significant reduction in the replication capacity of the coronavirus and to the destruction of the infected cell. The decrease in virus replication prevents further cell damage following infection,” the statement said.
The drugs were also found to be effective against other virus strains, including influenza and West Nile fever.
The Defense Ministry-run lab has also completed its clinical trials of the specific compounds in question, making it market-ready in the coming weeks.
Earlier this month, IIBR made a breakthrough development in isolating an antibody that neutralizes the COVID-19 virus.
The drug would also act to combat people already with the disease and not as inoculation.
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