An experimental drug (thapsigargin) derived from the poisonous thapsia plant is being trialled for prostate cancer, but researchers at Nottingham University believe it may also be an effective anti-viral.
While testing it on animals, researchers have found that it may also be able to stop infection with a range of coronaviruses that cause the common cold, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Rather than targeting a specific coronavirus, the antiviral could possibly be used to inhibit the development of a range of viruses that trigger similar symptoms.
If it is proven to work in this way, it could potentially be an effective drup against future 'Disease X' pandemics. However, more testing is needed as no evidence exists that it will work on humans.
It costs around £76 per 1mg for use in current experimental research, but the cost would fall drastically if it went into full production. Flu antivirals can require between 200mg to 800mg per dose. It could be readily made in bulk in laboratories, without direct harvest from plants, and would not need deep freeze storage.
Antivirals licenced for flu target a part of the virus to stop or slow down its ability to make copies of itself inside infected cells. But thapsigargin triggers a range of host cellular responses, using the immune system's natural ability, rather than targeting the virus itself. By disrupting the virus's reproduction cycle in several places at the same time, it would prevent the virus replicating and taking hold. This would mean the drug would be useful against new strains as any virus mutations should not reduce its effectiveness. Lab tests on cells showed it stopped virus replication in just 30 minutes, and did not wear off for two days.
Source: News item in Daily Mail 3 Feb. 2021.
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