Dear Editor,

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has coexisted with human beings over 3 years. It has undergone considerable evolution and several variants of concern (VOCs), including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron, have been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). Especially, the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 exhibits striking transmissibility and immune evasion, and has been spreading rapidly worldwide since it was first reported in South Africa in November 2021 [1]. Omicron variant contains over 30 mutations in its spike protein (S) and 15 of them are located in the receptor binding domain (RBD). S-RBD mediates the binding of SARS-CoV-2 to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is the main viral entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2 on host cells and also the major target for neutralizing antibodies. These mutations in S-RBD lead to the extensive neutralization escape from most therapeutic SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Moreover, the effectiveness of all current vaccines was also reduced on Omicron variant for its neutralization escape [2]. A drug that can inhibit the binding of Omicron variant S-RBD to ACE2 should be useful for controlling SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection.

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