South Middlesex Times

Researchers from Rutgers Health are making significant strides in the development of a potential new oral treatment for COVID-19. This pursuit comes as a response to the need for alternative medications to supplement or replace Paxlovid, the current effective oral treatment for the virus.

In a report published in Science, Jun Wang, a senior author of the study and associate professor at Rutgers’ Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, highlighted the urgency for additional treatment options stating, “COVID-19 remains the nation’s third leading cause of death, so there’s already a massive need for additional treatment options.”

The research led by Wang's team aimed to target the viral papain-like protease (PLpro), a protein crucial for the function of all known strains of COVID-19. Eddy Arnold, a professor at Rutgers’ Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), emphasized the innovative design ideas derived from the detailed information about PLpro’s structure, obtained with the help of the Arnold Lab.

Through meticulous design and synthesis, the team developed 85 drug candidates, with one standout compound named Jun12682 showing promising results. Wang revealed, “Our treatment was about as effective in mice as Paxlovid was in its initial animal tests,” showcasing the potential of the experimental drug.

Moreover, Wang pointed out a significant advantage of Jun12682 over Paxlovid, stating, “Paxlovid interferes with many prescription medications, and most people who face the highest risk of severe COVID-19 take other prescription medicines, so it’s a real problem.” The experimental drug, however, demonstrated no evidence of interaction with major drug-metabolizing enzymes.

Following successful laboratory testing, Jun12682 showed effectiveness in inhibiting various SARS-CoV-2 strains, including those resistant to Paxlovid. Subsequent testing on SARS-CoV-2-infected mice revealed positive outcomes in reducing viral lung loads and lesions while enhancing survival rates.

Rutgers has taken steps to secure the potential of Jun12682 by submitting patent applications for this compound and the other 84 drug candidates. The university is now seeking partners to advance the drug candidate through further stages of testing and development, aiming to offer a promising alternative in the fight against COVID-19.