The researchers from The Scripps Research Institute believe that the drug, called NMT5, is likely to be effective against the emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2. In the article published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, the drug is described as coating the SARS-CoV-2 with chemicals that can temporarily alter the human ACE2 receptor. Therefore, when the virus is nearby, its path into human cells via the ACE2 receptor is blocked. In the absence of the virus, however, ACE2 can function as usual.

Dr. Stuart Lipton, a professor at The Scripps Research Institute, stated that they realized this could turn the virus into a delivery vehicle for its demise. Hence, the team tested a library of compounds and pinpointed NMT5 as having two key properties; namely, it could recognize and attach to a pore on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 and chemically modify human ACE2 using a fragment of nitroglycerin as the warhead.

He also revealed that while testing how well the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 could attach to human ACE2 receptors in cell culture experiments, the drug prevented 95% of viral binding. The drug was also effective against nearly a dozen other variants of the virus, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta strains. 

(Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/coronavirus/new-drug-nmt5-may-turn-covid-virus-against-itself-fight-variants-436848 )