British researchers are looking to repurpose existing anti-viral therapies to treat COVID-19 as part of a small project, the University of Oxford said on Friday, as they seek to fill a gap in the development of these type of therapies to tackle the coronavirus.

Scientists will initially screen 138 drugs with known antiviral activity against the COVID-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus to study and identify combinations which would boost their potential, the university said in a statement.

The rapid spread of the Omicron has also forced researchers to find options that work against the variant which has led to a spike in cases worldwide.