Icon: enlarge
Virologist Dittmann:
Experiments in the New York security lab
Photo:
Celeste Sloman / DER SPIEGEL
Effective in 70, 90, and even 95 percent of the cases - the latest success reports from AstraZeneca, Biontech and Moderna, derived from previous clinical studies, give hope that the first corona vaccines will be approved soon.
But there is another pharmaceutical race that will be just as important in the fight against Sars-CoV-2 and similar viruses.
Largely unnoticed by the public, researchers around the world are looking for a pill for people who have already been infected.
In the future, you could take an inhibitor that binds to an important enzyme in the virus and paralyzes it.
It is hoped that this would stop the pathogen from multiplying.
The German virologist Meike Dittmann from the New York University School of Medicine has already tested a substance from Pfizer in her laboratory in Manhattan.
In the culture dish, this significantly reduced the multiplication of Sars-CoV-2.
Dittmann: "I rate the inhibitor as very promising in the medium term."
Read more with Spiegel Plus
More perspectives, more understanding.
Your advantages with SPIEGEL +
Icon: Check
SPIEGEL as a magazine
as an app, e-paper and on the e-reader
Icon: Check
All articles on SPIEGEL.de
Exclusive texts for SPIEGEL + readers
Icon: Check
Try one month for free
Cancel anytime online
A price
only € 19.99 per month
One month for € 0.00
Try now for 0.00 € Buy nowArrow to the right
Already have a digital subscription? Register here
Restore iTunes subscription
SPIEGEL + is processed via your iTunes account and paid for with a purchase confirmation.
24 hours before it expires, the subscription is automatically renewed by one month at the current price of 19.99 €
You can cancel the subscription at any time in the settings of your iTunes account.
In order to use SPIEGEL + outside of this app, you must link the subscription to a SPIEGEL ID account immediately after purchase.
With the purchase you accept our general terms and conditions and privacy policy.
