Substance Combination for Inhibition of Viral Cysteine Proteases

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This invention relates to a pharmaceutical combination of the compounds suramin and quinacrine, which together act as a potent inhibitor of viral cysteine proteases, especially the 3CL protease that is critical to the replication of coronaviruses. The combination is significantly more effective than either compound alone in inhibiting the protease activity, providing a new strategy for developing antiviral drugs against infections from the Coronaviridae virus family (such as SARS-CoV-2, MERS, and others) for both humans and animals.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases caused by coronaviruses in humans.
• Prevention or mitigation of coronavirus outbreaks in animals (e.g., livestock, pets).
• Development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs targeting other viruses with similar cysteine proteases.
• Adjunct therapy in pandemics involving new or existing coronaviridae viruses.
• Use in laboratory research as a tool to study viral replication mechanisms.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• The combination of suramin and quinacrine offers synergistic antiviral activity, resulting in much stronger inhibition of viral protease compared to individual agents.
• Reduces the effective dose needed, potentially lowering side effects associated with high doses of either drug.
• Both drugs are already known and have established pharmacological profiles, which may accelerate regulatory approval and safety assessments.
• The combination targets a key viral enzyme (3CL protease) crucial for viral replication, offering a mechanistically robust antiviral approach.
• Applicable to a wide range of coronaviruses, making the therapy versatile for emerging or existing viral threats.
• The approach may provide a new therapeutic option for cases where existing antivirals are ineffective or unavailable.

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Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to a combination of the substances suramin and quinacrine for inhibiting viral cysteine proteases, more particularly for inhibiting viral 3CL proteases, and the use of said combination of substances for producing an inhibitor for viral cysteine proteases, more particularly 3CL proteases. The invention further relates to a combination of substances for treating a viral infection in an organism, more particularly for treating an infection with viruses from the coronaviridae family, and to the combination of substances as medication in the treatment of viral infections, more particularly to the treatment of an infection with viruses of the coronaviridae family.