February 6, 2020

Remdesivir and chloroquine effectively inhibit the recently emerged novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in vitro

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

• In vitro assessments of existing antivirals and selected other drugs found that remdesivir and chloroquine could be effective against 2019-nCoV. Remdeivir is noted as an inhibitor of viral reproduction that is already in clinical development for other severe viral illnesses (e.g., ebola and SARS), whereas chloroquine – a well-established antimalarial – might act by preventing viral entry into the host cell.   

Wang M, et al. (Feb 4, 2020). Remdesivir and chloroquine effectively inhibit the recently emerged novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in vitro. Cell Research. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-020-0282-0