Cocrystal Pharma’s SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Demonstrate Pan-viral Activity Against Human Common Coronaviruses, Noroviruses, Rhinoviruses & Enteroviruses

Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. recently announced that its SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors showed potent in vitro pan-viral activity against human common coronaviruses, rhinoviruses, and respiratory enteroviruses that frequently cause the common cold, as well as against noroviruses that can cause symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. These protease inhibitors were discovered using the company’s proprietary structure-based drug discovery technology and are currently being advanced by Cocrystal toward clinical development to combat SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

“It is exciting and compelling to see the pan-viral activity of our SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors against these clinically important viruses that cause illness among millions of people worldwide each year,” said Sam Lee, PhD, Cocrystal’s President and interim co-CEO. “As we have observed the importance of repurposed broad-spectrum antiviral drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is extremely important to design and rapidly develop new drug candidates as potent and safe pan-antivirals. This could be a gamechanger for antiviral drug discovery paradigms and treatments. Our current focus is on advancing these SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors toward clinical development as a potential oral treatment for patients with COVID-19,” he added. “We now have additional opportunities with these same protease inhibitors for future programs that target other areas of high unmet medical need.”

Common human coronaviruses, not to be confused with SARS-CoV-2, usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. Most people become infected with one or more of these viruses at some point in their lives. In the US, people usually become infected with common human coronaviruses in the fall and winter although these people can become infected any time of the year. Young children are most likely to get infected and people can have multiple infections in their lifetime. For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/types.html

Human rhinoviruses are responsible for more than one-half of cold-like illnesses and cost billions of dollars annually in direct medical care and missed days of work. Along with respiratory enteroviruses, rhinoviruses are the leading cause of upper respiratory tract infections and are among the most frequent infectious agents that affect humans worldwide. However, the lack of efficient antiviral treatments or vaccines against these highly prevalent and contagious pathogens prevents effective management of related diseases. For more information, visit https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728576/.

Noroviruses are global public health problem and the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea from acute gastroenteritis among people of all ages in the US and a Noroviruses are notorious for their common occurrence in hospitals, nursing homes, childcare facilities, schools, and cruise ships. In the US alone, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that noroviruses to cause up to 21 million illnesses, contribute to more than 100,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths, and are responsible for nearly 1 million pediatric medical care visits annually. For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/trends-outbreaks/burden-US.html

Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target the replication process of coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2), influenza viruses, hepatitis C virus, and noroviruses. Cocrystal employs unique structure-based technologies and Nobel Prize-winning expertise to create first- and best-in-class antiviral drugs. For more information, visit www.cocrystalpharma.com.