Cutting up COVID: Doherty, Peter Mac working on new anti-viral technique We’re sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Dismiss Normal text size Advertisement Melbourne-based scientists have developed a new anti-viral technique that can be quickly tweaked to target viruses including COVID-19 – an important step on the path towards new pandemic defences. The drug is at the earliest stage of development, and has not even been tested on animals - suggesting it is unlikely to be of use in the current pandemic. But scientists, including Nobel laureate Professor Peter Doherty, have long been calling for investment in so-called “broad-based anti-virals”, drugs that could immediately fight new pandemics as they emerge.