Peramivir for COVID-19

Amidst the ongoing global challenge of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the quest for effective antiviral medications remains paramount. This comprehensive review delves into the dynamic landscape of FDA-approved medications repurposed for COVID-19, categorized as antiviral and non-antiviral agents. Our focus extends beyond conventional narratives, encompassing vaccination targets, repurposing efficacy, clinical studies, innovative treatment modalities, and future outlooks. Unveiling the genomic intricacies of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the WHO-designated Omicron variant, we explore diverse antiviral categories such as Fusion inhibitors, Protease inhibitors, Transcription inhibitors, Neuraminidase inhibitors, Nucleoside reverse transcriptase, and non-antiviral interventions like Importin α/β1-mediated nuclear import inhibitors, Neutralizing antibodies and convalescent plasma. Notably, Molnupiravir emerges as a pivotal player, now licensed in the UK. This review offers a fresh perspective on the historical evolution of COVID-19 therapeutics, from repurposing endeavors to the latest developments in oral anti-SARS-CoV-2 treatments, ushering in a new era of hope in the battle against the pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe worldwide pandemic. Due to the emergence of various SARS-CoV-2 variants and the presence of only one Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved anti-COVID-19 drug (remdesivir), the disease remains a mindboggling global public health problem. Developing anti-COVID-19 drug candidates that are effective against SARS-CoV-2 and its various variants is a pressing need that should be satisfied. This systematic review assesses the existing literature that used in silico models during the discovery procedure of anti-COVID-19 drugs. Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed were used to conduct a literature search to find the relevant articles utilizing the search terms “In silico model,” “COVID-19,” “Anti-COVID-19 drug,” “Drug discovery,” “Computational drug designing,” and “Computer-aided drug design.” Studies published in English between 2019 and December 2022 were included in the systematic review. From the 1120 articles retrieved from the databases and reference lists, only 33 were included in the review after the removal of duplicates, screening, and eligibility assessment. Most of the articles are studies that use SARS-CoV-2 proteins as drug targets. Both ligand-based and structure-based methods were utilized to obtain lead anti-COVID-19 drug candidates. Sixteen articles also assessed absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity (ADMET), and drug-likeness properties. Confirmation of the inhibitory ability of the candidate leads by in vivo or in vitro assays was reported in only five articles. Virtual screening, molecular docking (MD), and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) emerged as the most commonly utilized in silico models for anti-COVID-19 drug discovery.