The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to cause major issues around the globe. Thus, effective therapeutics are critically needed to help better control the virus. Researchers at RPI and collaborating institutions have identified HCV protease inhibitor drugs that may be viable SARS-CoV-2 antivirals. These researchers have used the 3D structure of the SARS-CoV-2 protease to evaluate the potential for 12 FDA-approved HCV drugs to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 protease. They then tested these drugs in in vitro enzymatic experiments, thereby determining that a number of them had significant proteolytic inhibitory properties. These drugs were also tested in a cell-based SARS-CoV-2 replication inhibition experiments. It was found that two drugs, grazoprevir and simeprevir, not only inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication, but acted synergistically with remdesivir, the only antiviral drug proven to help COVID-19 patients.