In the fight against COVID-19, taking stock of the drugs currently available can help develop treatments.
One team of researchers at the University of Ottawa is working to identify how the virus targets cells. At the same time, another team is screening existing medications to see if an already FDA-approved drug can then block the new coronavirus from targeting these cells.
The first team is led by Marceline Côté, Canada Research Chair in Molecular Virology and Antiviral Therapies. The researchers are looking to find the virus’s vulnerabilities in an attempt to figure out how it is fusing with target cells.
The second team that is screening existing medications to see whether a repurposed drug can help block the new coronavirus, is led by Patrick Giguère, Canada Research Chair in Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Discovery.
For more information, visit the University of Ottawa.
