Benzinga | Nov 8, 2021 08:21AM EST

Cocrystal Pharma Says Its Main Protease Inhibitors Demonstrated Pan-viral Activity against Human Common Coronaviruses, Noroviruses, Rhinoviruses And Enteroviruses

Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:COCP) ("Cocrystal" or the "Company") announces that its SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors showed potent in vitro pan-viral activity against human common coronaviruses, rhinoviruses, and respiratory enteroviruses that frequently cause the common cold, as well as against noroviruses that can cause symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. These protease inhibitors were discovered using the company's proprietary structure-based drug discovery technology and are currently being advanced by Cocrystal toward clinical development to combat SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.



"It is exciting and compelling to see the pan-viral activity of our SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors against these clinically important viruses that cause illness among millions of people worldwide each year," said Sam Lee, Ph.D., Cocrystal's President and interim co-CEO. "As we have observed the importance of repurposed broad-spectrum antiviral drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is extremely important to design and rapidly develop new drug candidates as potent and safe pan-antivirals. This could be a gamechanger for antiviral drug discovery paradigms and treatments.

"Our current focus is on advancing these SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors toward clinical development as a potential oral treatment for patients with COVID-19," he added. "We now have additional opportunities with these same protease inhibitors for future programs that target other areas of high unmet medical need."