Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had the world in suspense for more than a year. Even if more and more vaccines are approved there is still an urgent need for efficient antiviral treatment strategies. Here, we present data on the inhibitory effect of the local anaesthetic procaine, especially the prodrugs ProcCluster® and Procaine-hydrochloride on SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. Remarkably, similar effects could be shown on the replication of influenza A viruses in cell culture systems. Since the active ingredient procaine is well-tolerated and already used in the clinics for anaesthetic purposes, the further investigation of this substance could enable its reuse in antiviral therapy, including SARS-CoV-2.
Competing Interest Statement
Disclosure statement: Beatrice Engert is employed by the inflamed pharma GmbH (Jena). Nonetheless we adherence to scientific policies on sharing data and material. The study was supported by the Thueringer Aufbaubank (2020 IDS 0031) and the inflamed pharma GmbH (Jena).