The number of drugs effective against coronavirus remains extremely limited. Even approved for the treatment of critically ill patients, remdesivir has shown limited effectiveness, so many groups of scientists are looking for new, more effective drugs.

A group of researchers is testing clofazimine, a drug used to treat leprosy. The drug is effective against coronaviruses in vitro and in a hamster experiment, according to a study published in the journal Nature.

The authors of the study found that clofazimine acts at different stages of the multiplication of coronaviruses. It prevents them from entering cells and reduces the activity of the viral enzyme helicase, which is necessary for replication.

Clofazimine was developed in the 1950s as an anti-tuberculosis drug, and today it is used in the treatment of leprosy. It is known to have anti-inflammatory effects. Clofazimine is on the list of essential drugs of the World Health Organization.