EIDD-2801 resists to infection and co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exerted a catastrophic impact on public health. Meanwhile, the seasonal influenza outbreak overlaps with the current pandemic wave. There is still an urgent need to develop effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of co-infection of multiple respiratory viruses. This study aimed to investigate antiviral effects of EIDD-2801, an orally bioavailable ribonucleoside analog, and its potent therapeutic effects in co-infection of multiple respiratory viruses. METHODS: BALB/c mice and hamsters were infected with IFV or SARS-CoV-2, then were dosed orally with EIDD-2801 to measure the antiviral effects of EIDD-2801. Viral replication and mRNA transcription were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and protein expression by Western Blot. Influenza viral titer was assessed using EID(50) assay. RESULTS: EIDD-2801 was found to be significantly effective against influenza A virus and influenza B virus. The antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and further co-infection with influenza virus was also distinct. EIDD-2801 had potent antiviral effects against multiple respiratory viruses both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the small-molecule compound EIDD-2801, an orally available broad-spectrum antiviral agent, significantly inhibited the infection of influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 and effectively protected animals from lethal influenza virus co-infection.