Portuguese researchers discover potential drug combo against COVID-19

Lisbon: A research team in Portugal has found three existing drugs that can help inhibit COVID-19 effects, the Diario de Noticias of Portugal daily reported.

During the pre-clinical research, the team from the Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology of NOVA University Lisbon discovered that the drug combination can reduce the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causes COVID-19, by half, said the report.

"With the drugs, we had identified that the virus only replicated at 50 percent," said Cecilia Arraiano, who leads the team, noting that the synergy could act on the Nsp14, a viral protein responsible for replication, to dampen virus activity.

The drugs could be a potential treatment that helps reduce COVID-19 hospitalisation rate, according to the team.

Two of the drugs are over-the-counter medicines for treating other diseases, and the third one is pending market approval, researchers said, without disclosing drug names due to patent concern.

Arraiano said it took them nine months to have a pre-clinical discovery, and now she hopes to have more financial support to push it forward.