Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Simeprevir suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication and synergizes with remdesivir

View ORCID ProfileHo Sing Lo, Kenrie P. Y. Hui, Hei-Ming Lai, Khadija Shahed Khan, Simranjeet Kaur, Zhongqi Li, Anthony K. N. Chan, Hayley Hei-Yin Cheung, Ka Chun Ng, John Chi Wang Ho, Yu Wai Chen, Bowen Ma, Peter Man-Hin Cheung, Donghyuk Shin, Kaidao Wang, Kuen-Phon Wu, Ivan Dikic, Po-Huang Liang, Zhong Zuo, Francis K. L. Chan, David S. C. Hui, Vincent C. T. Mok, Kam-Bo Wong, Ho Ko, Wei Shen Aik, Michael C. W. Chan, View ORCID ProfileWai-Lung Ng
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.26.116020
Ho Sing Lo
1School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Ho Sing Lo
Kenrie P. Y. Hui
2School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Hei-Ming Lai
3Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
4Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
5Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Khadija Shahed Khan
1School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Simranjeet Kaur
6Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Zhongqi Li
4Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
5Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Anthony K. N. Chan
7Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Hayley Hei-Yin Cheung
8School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ka Chun Ng
2School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
John Chi Wang Ho
2School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Yu Wai Chen
9Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Biology and the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Bowen Ma
1School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Peter Man-Hin Cheung
10School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Donghyuk Shin
11Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kaidao Wang
12Protein Production Department, GenScript Biotech Corporation, Nanjing, China
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kuen-Phon Wu
13Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ivan Dikic
11Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Po-Huang Liang
13Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Zhong Zuo
1School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Francis K. L. Chan
4Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
14Institute of Digestive Disease, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
David S. C. Hui
4Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
15Stanley Ho Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Vincent C. T. Mok
4Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
16Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, Margaret K.L. Cheung Research Centre for Management of Parkinsonism, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kam-Bo Wong
8School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ho Ko
3Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
4Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
5Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
16Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, Margaret K.L. Cheung Research Centre for Management of Parkinsonism, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
17School of Biomedical Sciences, Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Wei Shen Aik
6Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Michael C. W. Chan
2School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: mchan@hku.hk billyng@cuhk.edu.hk
Wai-Lung Ng
1School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Wai-Lung Ng
  • For correspondence: mchan@hku.hk billyng@cuhk.edu.hk
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, is a global threat to human health. By in vitro screening and biochemical characterization, we identified the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor simeprevir as an especially promising repurposable drug for treating COVID-19. We also revealed that simeprevir synergizes with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) inhibitor remdesivir to suppress the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Our results provide preclinical rationale for the combination treatment of simeprevir and remdesivir for the pharmacological management of COVID-19 patients.

One Sentence Summary Discovery of simeprevir as a potent suppressor of SARS-CoV-2 viral replication that synergizes remdesivir.

Competing Interest Statement

CUHK and HKU have filed a US provisional patent application based on the finding of this manuscript. W.L.N., M.C.W.C., K.P.Y.H., H.S.L., K.S.K., H.K. and H.M.L. are inventors of the patent. F.K.L.C. has served as a consultant to Eisai, Pfizer, Takeda and Otsuka, and has been paid lecture fees by Eisai, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Takeda.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted May 26, 2020.
Download PDF
Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Simeprevir suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication and synergizes with remdesivir
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Simeprevir suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication and synergizes with remdesivir
Ho Sing Lo, Kenrie P. Y. Hui, Hei-Ming Lai, Khadija Shahed Khan, Simranjeet Kaur, Zhongqi Li, Anthony K. N. Chan, Hayley Hei-Yin Cheung, Ka Chun Ng, John Chi Wang Ho, Yu Wai Chen, Bowen Ma, Peter Man-Hin Cheung, Donghyuk Shin, Kaidao Wang, Kuen-Phon Wu, Ivan Dikic, Po-Huang Liang, Zhong Zuo, Francis K. L. Chan, David S. C. Hui, Vincent C. T. Mok, Kam-Bo Wong, Ho Ko, Wei Shen Aik, Michael C. W. Chan, Wai-Lung Ng
bioRxiv 2020.05.26.116020; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.26.116020
Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Simeprevir suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication and synergizes with remdesivir
Ho Sing Lo, Kenrie P. Y. Hui, Hei-Ming Lai, Khadija Shahed Khan, Simranjeet Kaur, Zhongqi Li, Anthony K. N. Chan, Hayley Hei-Yin Cheung, Ka Chun Ng, John Chi Wang Ho, Yu Wai Chen, Bowen Ma, Peter Man-Hin Cheung, Donghyuk Shin, Kaidao Wang, Kuen-Phon Wu, Ivan Dikic, Po-Huang Liang, Zhong Zuo, Francis K. L. Chan, David S. C. Hui, Vincent C. T. Mok, Kam-Bo Wong, Ho Ko, Wei Shen Aik, Michael C. W. Chan, Wai-Lung Ng
bioRxiv 2020.05.26.116020; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.26.116020

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Microbiology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (4850)
  • Biochemistry (10791)
  • Bioengineering (8040)
  • Bioinformatics (27281)
  • Biophysics (13971)
  • Cancer Biology (11119)
  • Cell Biology (16048)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (8777)
  • Ecology (13276)
  • Epidemiology (2067)
  • Evolutionary Biology (17353)
  • Genetics (11687)
  • Genomics (15915)
  • Immunology (11027)
  • Microbiology (26069)
  • Molecular Biology (10637)
  • Neuroscience (56525)
  • Paleontology (417)
  • Pathology (1732)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (3003)
  • Physiology (4543)
  • Plant Biology (9627)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1614)
  • Synthetic Biology (2685)
  • Systems Biology (6975)
  • Zoology (1508)