Wrocław University of Science and Technology has signed an agreement with the Japanese company Peptide Institute Inc. on the distribution of chemicals that can be used to search for COVID-19 drugs. These compounds were developed in the laboratory of Prof. Marcin Drąg from the Department of Biological Chemistry and Bioimaging.
Commercialization is related to the research commenced at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology in late February and early March, shortly after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The scientific team of Prof. Drąg began researching the proteolytic enzyme of the SARS-CoV-2-Mpro virus, which plays a very important role, because it processes immature viral proteins.
In their laboratory, the team profiled such enzymes through the development of their own technology and determined the so-called substrate specificity. Scientists were able to study the protease, compare it to that from the previous SARS epidemic, and develop compounds that selectively inhibit its action.
