Drug company Anivive Lifesciences Inc on Friday announced the availability of a research article on the effectiveness of its GC376 in preventing the reproduction of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, at National Academy of Sciences, a comprehensive scientific journal.

The PNAS article "Postinfection treatment with a protease inhibitor increases survival of mice with a fatal SARS-CoV-2 infection," details a study that shows mice with fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections experienced reduced viral load and improved survival when treated with deuterated variants of the company's antiviral medication under development GC376.

A first-in-class small molecule protease inhibitor, GC376 blocks 3CLpro, a protease common to many coronaviruses, with high therapeutic efficacy. The company licensed the exclusive worldwide patent rights to GC376 from Kansas State University.

All coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, contain a protease responsible for replication of the virus. GC376 is a protease inhibitor, designed to block the replication process and stop the virus from spreading, according to the company.

In the study, the mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 that developed lung pathology resembling that of severe COVID-19 in humans were given a series of deuterated variants of the company's GC376 to evaluate the antiviral effect against SARS-CoV-2.

Additionally, the company has filed a pre-Investigational New Drug request with the Food and Drug Administration to evaluate GC376 as a post-infection treatment of COVID-19 in humans.