Anti-coronavirus drug
The present invention provides an anti-coronavirus agent including as an active ingredient as exemplified by nelfinavir and salts thereof, an anti-SARS agent including the anti-coronavirus agent, and a method of treating SARS using the anti-SARS agent.
1. A method for treating SARS in a patient in need of treatment using an anti-SARS-associated coronavirus agent comprising as the active ingredient a compound represented by formula (5).
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
2. A method for treating SARS according to claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound represented by formula (5) is a methanesulfonate.
3. A method for treating SARS using an anti-SARS-agent comprising the anti-SARS-associated coronovirus agent according to claim 1 as an active ingredient, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient and/or diluent.