Inhibition of novel b coronavirus replication by a combination of interferon-a2b and ribavirin
Darryl Falzarano, Emmie de Wit, Cynthia Martellaro, Julie Callison, Vincent J. Munster & Heinz Feldmann
The identification of a novel b coronavirus, nCoV, as the causative agent of severe respiratory illness in humans originating in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan has raised concerns about the possibility of a coronavirus pandemic similar to that of SARS-CoV. As a definitive treatment regimen has never been
thoroughly evaluated for coronavirus infections, there is an urgent need to rapidly identify potential therapeutics to address future cases of nCoV. To determine an intervention strategy, the effect of interferon-a2b and ribavirin on nCoV isolate hCoV-EMC/2012 replication in Vero and LLC-MK2 cells was
evaluated. hCoV-EMC/2012 was sensitive to both interferon-a2b and ribavirin alone in Vero and LLC-MK2 cells, but only at relatively high concentrations; however, when combined, lower concentrations of interferon-a2b and ribavirin achieved comparable endpoints. Thus, a combination of interferon-a2b and ribavirin, which are already commonly used in the clinic, may be useful for patient management in the event of future nCoV infections.