The Flu-fighting Potential of a Regular Chocolate Component Surpasses Tamiflu in a Novel Drug Blend
In a groundbreaking development, scientists at Hebrew University have engineered a high-throughput screening system using genetically modified bacteria to discover a potential flu treatment. The treatment, a combination of theobromine, a compound found in chocolate, and arainosine, has shown promising results in preclinical studies, outperforming Tamiflu against various flu strains, including drug-resistant bird and swine flu.
The unique combination of theobromine and arainosine targets the M2 ion channel of the virus, a structural weakness less prone to mutation than traditional targets. This novel approach reduces the likelihood of viral resistance, making the treatment more effective against resistant flu strains.
Preclinical results show up to 97% protection in cell models and strong efficacy in animal studies. The treatment offers a better flu drug and introduces a new way to target viruses, according to the study's lead author, Prof. Isaiah Arkin. The discovery of this combination may not just be more effective, but may also hold up longer against resistance.
Currently, the development of this drug combo is being advanced by a new biotech startup, ViroBlock, spun out from Hebrew University. Human clinical trials are the next step, but as of August 2025, these trials have not yet begun. Given the recent publication of these promising results and the startup's involvement, human trials may be expected within the next 1–2 years, depending on regulatory and funding processes.
The treatment's effectiveness lies in how theobromine blocks the narrow entrance of the M2 ion channel and how arainosine binds further down the channel, jamming the gate in a way that the virus struggles to evade. At low doses, neither compound is effective on its own, but together they offer complete protection from virus-induced cellular death at specific concentrations.
In mice infected with flu, the treatment slashed the amount of viral RNA in the lungs by over 75% at moderate levels, and nearly halted weight loss with a lethal strain of influenza. The treatment's potential applicability extends beyond influenza, as ion channels are found in many viruses, including coronaviruses.
The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found a few promising candidates for a flu treatment from a library of 2,839 repurposed drugs, with theobromine standing out. Theobromine, known for its bitterness in chocolate, paired with arainosine showed striking synergy in stopping flu viruses, including H1N1 and H5N1, even when Tamiflu failed.
As we move towards human clinical trials, the chocolate-derived theobromine-arainosine flu treatment is at an advanced preclinical stage with plans for human trials underway, which could realistically initiate within the next couple of years. The M2 ion channel is a weakness that viruses have evolved to protect, but this innovative treatment could provide a much-needed solution in the fight against flu viruses.
- The engineered high-throughput screening system by Hebrew University scientists, using genetically modified bacteria, discovered a potential flu treatment combining theobromine and arainosine.
- This treatment, outperforming Tamiflu against various flu strains, targets the M2 ion channel of the virus, a structural weakness less prone to mutation.
- The treatment's effectiveness lies in how theobromine blocks the narrow entrance of the M2 ion channel and how arainosine binds further down, jamming the gate in a way that the virus struggles to evade.
- In the fight against flu viruses, the chocolate-derived theobromine-arainosine treatment is at an advanced preclinical stage, with human trials underway and plans for them to initiate within the next couple of years.
- Given the recent publication of promising results, the development of this drug combo is being advanced by a new biotech startup, ViroBlock, spun out from Hebrew University.
- The study's potential applicability extends beyond influenza, as ion channels are found in many viruses, including coronaviruses, suggesting a new direction in ecology, medical-conditions, and health-and-wellness research for science and the medical field.
