Researchers in the United States have shown that water-soluble derivatives of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) exhibit potent antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Kevin Harrod from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and colleagues found that the compounds synergized with the antiviral drug remdesivir to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) – an enzyme that is crucial for transcription and replication of the viral genome.