N4-Hydroxycytidine is a broad spectrum antiviral with activity against a range of viruses including hepatitis C, norovirus, Ebola virus, influenza, respiratory syncytial viruses and coronaviruses. N4-hydroxycytidine has been shown to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 as well as other human and bat coronaviruses in mice and human airway epithelial cells. N4-hydroxycytidine is the active molecule in the antiviral pro-drug clinical candidate EIDD 2801, which is also being investigated for its broad spectrum activity against the coronavirus family of viruses. EIDD 2801 exerts its antiviral action through introduction of copying errors during viral RNA replication and is active against SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2.
