By Ethan Covey
An existing drug used for treating hepatitis C may be effective against Zika virus, according to recent in vitro studies.
The drug, sofosbuvir (Sovaldi, Gilead), protected cells against Zika virus infection–mediated cell death and restored antiviral immune response in the cells. Additionally, the drug prevented transmission of Zika virus from mother to fetus in mouse models (Sci Rep [Epub Jan 18, 2018]. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-19526-4).
“There has been a lot of work done