Mexico’s National Network of State Science and Technology Councils and Organizations (Rednacecyt) reported that Switzerland’s Paul Scherrer Institute will support Mexican researchers who are looking for a drug against COVID-19.
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"This project focuses on developing an antiviral using a mixture of disciplines. It will be a nanohybrid that may attack the virus," Rednacecyt's President Alonso Huerta said.
At a virtual press conference, he explained that the project works on the conjunction of nanoparticles and bio-particles to isolate and inhibit the reproduction of the coronavirus.
This investigation results from a call that the Hidalgo State Government and the Paul Scherrer Institute issued on March 23 and closed on May 9, in which 20 projects were registered.
The Pachuca Polytechnic University project is conceptualized in two stages. The first, to investigate how a nanoparticle would interact with the compounds that are projected to be used in the medicine. And the second stage is knowing how it would act with the virus.
Huerta explained that, if everything goes well, the concept will be validated next year and, perhaps, it would be ready to be commercialized in two years.
"If we look at it over the two-year horizon, it's a very short time regarding how drug development occurs, and the time is reduced because the experience is being used for other viruses," Huerta said.