Timothy Sheahan works in a lab, in 2017, at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. | Photo Courtesy of Mary Lide Parker/UNC
Timothy Sheahan works in a lab, in 2017, at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. | Photo Courtesy of Mary Lide Parker/UNC
UNC-Chapel Hill researchers have joined the race to develop a COVID-19 treatment.
The scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health are helping develop EIDD-2801, according to a WBTV report on April 6. It is reportedly headed to human clinical trials after it was tested on mice.
Distinguished Professor of epidemiology Ralph Baric told WBTV that the drug, which showed to reduce lung damage in mice, has the potential to treat other illnesses besides the novel coronavirus. The journal Science Translational Medicine published the results on April 6.
“When given as a treatment 12 or 24 hours after infection has begun, EIDD-2801 can reduce the degree of lung damage and weight loss in mice," UNC-CH’s release said. "This window of opportunity is expected to be longer in humans, because the period between coronavirus disease onset and death is generally extended in humans compared to mice.”
EIDD-2801 human trials are slated for later this spring.
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