By NELSON DAFE

As the world continues to grapple with the scourge of the Coronavirus disease, scientists the world over are not resting on their oars as they search for a cure for the deadly disease.

The latest positive news is coming from Denmark where this reporter reached out to a former member of the Danish Parliament, Keld Marstrand, to discuss the impact of the global pandemic.

He revealed that there is rising hope in Denmark as Danish scientists are edging closer to finding a cure for the Coronavirus disease.

“Danish scientists have found some enzymes in some existing Japanese medicine. These enzymes seem to be able to prevent the virus to connect to our cells. They will soon test on humans,” Marstrand said.

The former parliamentarian directed News Express to a Danish news website, nyherder.TV2.dk, on the Danish scientists’ discovery and, according to the report there, two Danish researchers are hopeful that there will be a big Coronavirus breakthrough soon.

“If all goes well, there will be a test by next week,” the report says.

The two researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, Mads Fuglsang Kjolby and Ole Shmeltz Sogaard, have over the past month conducted laboratory tests on some drugs derived from Japan and believe there are enzymes in them that are capable of slowing down the spread of coronavirus in human lungs.

The Japanese drug, Camostat Mesylate, which is currently in use against chronic pancreatitis and postoperative reflux, has been subject of serious research among scientists and there is a belief that the drug can be repurposed to fight Coronavirus.

If everything goes according to plan, the repurposed drugs by the Danish researchers will be tested on Coronavirus patients in Denmark this week.

Kjolby said: “We have acted extremely quickly on our research and we have all the right skills to perform this test very quickly.”

The researchers hope that treatment will show whether the drug has the required effect.

There is a theoretical background that this works in cell experiments and in mice, but we do not know whether it can have the same effect on people, and that is what we must examine, says Ole Schmeltz Søgaard. Hopefully it has an effect in terms of morbidity and mortality in humans as it has had in other trials, said Kjolby.

The researchers hope it will take three to four weeks to know whether the drugs works against Coronavirus and if it does, it would then be mass produced for use for Coronavirus patients.

The research is being funded by Lundbeck Foundation, Denmark who have allocated €30 million to tackle the virus “because one sees an acute need to address the pandemic,” said Jan Egebjerg, Director of Sciences of the foundation.

He expressed excitement about the research and hopes it can alleviate the pandemic soon.

•PHOTO: Danish scientist Ole Schmeltz Søgaard

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