After successfully countering the global pandemic, the top Chinese scientists have developed a drug that could halt the fatal coronavirus in a human body without even using vaccine.
International news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that a drug being tested by scientists at China's prestigious Peking University could shorten the recovery time for infected patients and offer short-term immunity from the virus as well.
Sunney Xie, director of the university's Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, told the news agency that the drug has been successful at the animal testing stage. "When we injected neutralising antibodies into infected mice, after five days the viral load was reduced by a factor of 2,500. That means this potential drug has (a) therapeutic effect,” said Xie.
Xie said that the new drug could be a faster and more efficient way to stop the global march of the coronavirus. "We would be able to stop the pandemic with an effective drug, even without a vaccine," he added.
He said that his team had been working ‘day and night’ searching for the antibody. “I hope that the drug will be ready for use later this year and in time for any potential winter outbreak of the virus, which has infected 4.8 million people around the world and killed more than 315,000.”
Last week, a Chinese health official said that the country already has five potential coronavirus vaccines at the human trial stage. Although, World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that developing a vaccine could take 12 to 18 months.
International news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that a drug being tested by scientists at China's prestigious Peking University could shorten the recovery time for infected patients and offer short-term immunity from the virus as well.
Sunney Xie, director of the university's Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, told the news agency that the drug has been successful at the animal testing stage. "When we injected neutralising antibodies into infected mice, after five days the viral load was reduced by a factor of 2,500. That means this potential drug has (a) therapeutic effect,” said Xie.
Xie said that the new drug could be a faster and more efficient way to stop the global march of the coronavirus. "We would be able to stop the pandemic with an effective drug, even without a vaccine," he added.
He said that his team had been working ‘day and night’ searching for the antibody. “I hope that the drug will be ready for use later this year and in time for any potential winter outbreak of the virus, which has infected 4.8 million people around the world and killed more than 315,000.”
Last week, a Chinese health official said that the country already has five potential coronavirus vaccines at the human trial stage. Although, World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that developing a vaccine could take 12 to 18 months.