Interferon-β-1a Inhibition of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome–Coronavirus 2 In Vitro When Administered After Virus Infection
Nicola Clementi, Roberto Ferrarese, Elena Criscuolo, Roberta A. Diotti, Matteo Castelli, Carolina Scagnolari, Roberto Burioni, Guido Antonelli, Massimo Clementi, Nicasio Mancini
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has forced the clinical and scientific community to try drug repurposing of existing antiviral agents as a quick option against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Under this scenario, interferon (IFN) β-1a, whose antiviral potential is already known, and which is a drug currently used in the clinical management of multiple sclerosis, may represent as a potential candidate. In this report, we demonstrate that IFN-β-1a was highly effective in inhibiting in vitro SARS-CoV-2 replication at clinically achievable concentration when administered after virus infection.