An international group of scientists has found that the drug is fenofibrate and its active form of fenofibrin acid can destroy Coronavirus SARS-COV-2 in human cells. This is reported in the article published in the Frontiers in Pharmacology magazine.
Researchers conducted screening potential drugs, measuring the dimerization of the human angiotensin surgery receiver 2 (ACE2). Ace2 is a dimer, which consists of two simpler molecules, which affects its ability to bind to coronavirus S-protein (protein-spike). Scientists identified fenofibrate whose active form destabilizes receptor-binding domain (RBD) virus spike virus and inhibits its binding to ACE2.
Penofibrate and phenophibrinic acid were tested by two independent laboratories on VERO cultured cells infected with two different SARS-COV-2 isolates. In both cases, fenofibrate and fenofibroic acid in clinically significant concentrations reduced the viral infection to 70 percent. Since the drug is safe and is already used as a means to combat the high level of cholesterol and lipids in the blood, it can be a potential therapeutic agent that requires evaluation for the treatment of SARS-COV-2.