An oral SARS-CoV-2 M<sup>pro</sup> inhibitor clinical candidate for the treatment of COVID-19.

Owen, Dafydd R; Allerton, Charlotte M N; Anderson, Annaliesa S; Aschenbrenner, Lisa; Avery, Melissa; Berritt, Simon; Boras, Britton; Cardin, Rhonda D et al. · Science · 2021

rct · Level II

Where this comes from

Abstract

The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global pandemic. Alongside vaccines, antiviral therapeutics are an important part of the healthcare response to countering the ongoing threat presented by COVID-19. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of PF-07321332, an orally bioavailable SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor with in vitro pan-human coronavirus antiviral activity and excellent off-target selectivity and in vivo safety profiles. PF-07321332 has demonstrated oral activity in a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 model and has achieved oral plasma concentrations exceeding the in vitro antiviral cell potency in a phase 1 clinical trial in healthy human participants.

Medical subject headings