• Stapled lipopeptides successfully deter infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and reduce the severity of COVID-19 in tests with hamsters
• Clinical trial now under way of compound's effectiveness as a nasal spray in humans
• Approach has the potential to be effective against a wide range of harmful viruses

Compounds that obstruct the "landing gear" of a range of harmful viruses can successfully protect against infection by the virus that causes COVID-19, a study published today and led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists shows. Based on the findings, researchers have launched a human clinical trial of one such compound made by chemically stabilizing a key coronavirus peptide.

Novel compound protects against infection by virus that causes COVID-19, preliminary studies show | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute