As scientists of our entire world scurry to search for a vaccine against COVID-19, a team of researchers from Hansraj College, DU has claimed to have developed a potential anti-covid19 drug molecule.
The team led by Dr. Brijesh Rathi, an assistant professor in the Chemistry Department of Hansraj College, has extensively invested their time in in-silico experiments. After preclinical testing of the molecule against SARS-CoV-2 in India, Loyola University Chicago and University of New Mexico, Rathi along with his collaborators Dr. Steven Bradfute from University of New Mexico and Prof Ravi Durvasula and Dr. P Kempaiah from Loyola University have together filed the US provisional patent application: “Calxinin Compositions and method for treating Viral Infections.”
A UK based company named Radcliffe Bioscience has even agreed to conduct clinical trials on Calxinin. The company has assured that they’d try to develop an anti COVID drug as fast as they can with the help of this promising molecule. The company will be developing the drug molecule, beginning with toxicity testing and taking it to the animal efficacy level soon. The company has also mentioned in a letter that they’d be happy to collaborate with Dr. Rathi and his team in future endeavors.
While speaking to The Times of India, Dr. Rathi sounded hopeful about the emergence of an antiviral drug from the discovered molecule as he mentioned that they have almost completed pre-clinical trials and the rest is up to the company.
