Niels C. Pedersen, now professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, has been studying FIP since the 1960s. In 2018 and 2019, he tested a newly developed antiviral drug known as GS-441524 as a potential treatment. The Atlantic recently reported on Pedersen’s groundbreaking results: GS-441524 successfully cured naturally occurring FIP in 25 out of 31 cats in a field trial—“an unheard-of recovery rate.”

Developed by pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, GS-441524 defeats viruses by blocking their ability to replicate. By making a small change that improved the molecule’s ability to enter human cells, Gilead also created a second, nearly identical drug—remdesivir. 

While Gilead pursued remdesivir as a possible treatment for Ebola in humans, Pedersen tested the simpler drug, GS-441524, in cats. In collaboration with Gilead’s own researchers, he showed that GS-441524 cured FIP “safely and effectively.” 

But as the Atlantic article explains, this long-awaited victory over FIP quickly turned into a dead end. 

Gilead refused to license GS-441524 for use in animals. The company was working toward FDA approval of remdesivir for Ebola and feared that research on GS-441524 in cats might interfere with the approval of remdesivir for human use. 

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Who can make Gilead's coronavirus drug, licence free