A broad-spectrum macrocyclic peptide inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had great societal and health consequences. Despite the availability of vaccines, infection rates remain high due to immune evasive Omicron sublineages. Broad-spectrum antivirals are needed to safeguard against emerging variants and future pandemics.

Inhibition of H1 and H5 Influenza A Virus Entry by Diverse Macrocyclic Peptides Targeting the Hemagglutinin Stem Region.

Influenza A viruses pose a serious pandemic risk, while generation of efficient vaccines against seasonal variants remains challenging. There is thus a pressing need for new treatment options. We report here a set of macrocyclic peptides that inhibit influenza A virus infection at low nanomolar concentrations by binding to hemagglutinin, selected using ultrahigh-throughput screening of a diverse peptide library.