The top infectious disease expert in the United States has told House lawmakers its a question of when, not if the United States will have a vaccine for COVID-19. (June 23) AP Domestic

A scientist who previously developed an antiviral with potential to treat Zikais close to testing a similar drug to combat COVID-19.

Dr. Donald Alcendor, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Meharry Medical College, began working on the COVID-19 antiviral in April and anticipatesit is fourto sixweeks away from animal toxicity testing.

Should the antiviral meet expectations andproceedthroughfurther testing, he predicts that it may be FDA-approved and in use sometime next year.

With Zika, we saw the changes within infected cells in a matter of hours. To see something like that in a patient would be remarkable, Alcendor said.

Dr. Donald Alcendor, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Meharry Medical College.(Photo: Meharry Medical College)

The work is especially meaningful for Meharry Medical College, an HBCU founded in 1876 to train Black doctors and provide care for underserved African Americans, a community that, at the time, was often ignored by white doctors. African Americans have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic and remain one of the most at risk of contracting COVID-19.

"Infectious disease research is one of Meharrys strengths and we are excited to (be a) part of the global scientific effort to find a treatment for this virus," saidMeharry Medical College President and CEODr. James Hildreth."The devastating impact of COVID-19 on minorities makes this research especially relevant to Meharrys legacy and mission," he said in an emailed statement.

The antiviral is different from a vaccine in that it could treat those who have already contracted the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 126,000 in the United States,according to the CDC.

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There is currently no FDA-approved vaccine or antiviral. In May, hospitals were given emergency authorization by the FDA to administer Remdesivir, previously used to slow the replication of the Ebola virus and two other coronaviruses, SARS and MERS. But the drug is still being studied and the FDA said that, while some patients have seen a shortened recovery time, there is little known about its safety and effectiveness.

What we have is the only antiviral specific for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), Alcendor said. All these other antivirals out there affect virus replication in general for many viruses. When something is specific, its likely to have less unintended consequences.

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COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets that can be passed on when people sneeze, cough or talk. Once inside a cell, the virus uses an enzyme called a polymerase to begin making copies of itself. After replication, the virus causes inflammation in the lungs which can quickly lead to what Alcendor calls "the death point"or the moment when a patient must be placed on a ventilator because they can no longer breathe on their own.

The idea of Alcendors antiviral is to stop the polymerase from being made, thereby preventing replication and hopefully inflammation.

If Im able to circumvent that polymerase from doing its job, I stop everything downstream from happening, Alcendor said.

Dr. Donald Alcendor works in a lab at Meharry Medical College.(Photo: Meharry Medical College)

If testing goes according to plan, Alcendor will have a drug that can prevent viruses from replicating in a cell for three to fivedays. That means it could also be taken before infection and still work to stave off the virus.

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The method is similar to his Zika antiviral approach, which he said shut down virus replication by 95 percent.

But Zika was primarily a threat to pregnant women and their babies and was transmitted by mosquitoes. With COVID-19, the stakes are much higher, he said.

To constantly, every day lose 1,000 people to this virus is something we cannot stand for, Alcendor said.

The work by Alcendor and his team is global but feelspersonal.

My home state of Louisiana is 32 percent African American. However, (53 percent)of the people dying of COVID-19 are African American, Alcendor said.

Our medical and research faculty and staff here stand hand in hand with colleagues around the world to say COVID-19 is not bigger than us and we want to do our part in all of this.

COVID-19 poses a significant threat to African Americans, who are at higherrisk of contracting the virus, largely due tosocial issues,health care access, and comorbidities such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

THE AMERICAN SOUTH: In the Deep South, COVID-19 reveals systemic issues hurting vulnerable black communities

This is an opportunity for Meharry to be in what I would call a spotlight thats been deserving for some time," Alcendor said."Our medical and research faculty and staff here stand hand in hand with colleagues around the world to say COVID-19 is not bigger than us and we want to do our part in all of this.

And though his antiviral may not be ready for hospital use until next year, Alcendor doesnt expect COVID-19 to disappear anytime soon. The benefit of his antiviral, he said, is that it takes less than two weeks to manufacture and can be easily adjusted if the virus continues to adapt. It also becomes more significant asfluseason looms in the fall and winter months.

I believe the disease will be with us for some time, he said. As scientists, weve been put on alert: Theres likely more of these viruses coming in the future. We have to have a plan of action that allows us to develop reagents that can work quickly and shut down infections very early so they dont develop into pandemics.

News tips? Questions? Call reporter Andrew Yawn at 985-285-7689 or email him at ayawn@gannett.com. Sign up for The American South newsletter.

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HBCU scientist working on COVID-19 antiviral - Tennessean