ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF THE DOMESTIC DRUG “TETLONG-250” IN CORONAVIRUS INFECTION IN LABORATORY MICE

Abstract

Abstract. Given the widespread spread of COVID-19 coronavirus infection in the world, the significant damage that this dangerous disease causes to the population of the planet, the constant emergence and circulation among people of new variants of the pathogen of this disease and the complexity of combating this disease, the search for new effective anti-coronavirus drugs remains an urgent problem. The aim of this study was to determine the antiviral activity of the domestic drug “Tetlong-250” in experimental coronavirus infection in laboratory mice caused by the mouse hepatitis coronavirus, which belongs to the same subgroup of coronaviruses (genus Betacoronavirus), which includes the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic – the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The determination of the activity of this agent was carried out in comparison with the effect on the specified coronavirus of the well-known antiviral drug Amiksin. It was established that the anti-alcohol drug “Tetlong-250” has a high statistically significant (P<0.001) anti-coronavirus activity, which was determined within 55.0–64.7% protection compared to control animals. At the same time, the interferon-inducing drug Amiksin protected laboratory mice from mortality caused by coronavirus at the level of 20%. The high reliable anti-coronavirus effectiveness of the studied drug “Tetlong-250” is also indicated by the average life expectancy of experimental animals, which was within 9.8–11.7 days for all 6 administration regimens, which was 4.7–6.6 days higher than the similar indicator in control animals, and 2.7–4.6 days higher than with the optimal use of Amiksin. The results obtained provide grounds to state the feasibility of conducting appropriate extensive clinical trials of the drug “Tetlong-250” with the aim of its possible effective use for the treatment of people suffering from many coronavirus infections, including COVID-19.