Prognosis
Pfizer Begins Human Trials of New Pill to Treat Coronavirus
- Protease inhibitor is similar to other successful virus drugs
- Therapy could help Covid-19 patients not yet in the hospital
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Pfizer Inc. said it has begun human safety testing of a new pill to treat the coronavirus that could be used at the first sign of illness.
If it succeeds in trials, the pill could be prescribed early in an infection to block viral replication before patients get very sick. The drug binds to an enzyme called a protease to keep the virus from replicating. Protease-inhibiting medicines have been successful in treating other types of viruses, include HIV and Hepatitis C.