Drug repurposing against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A review

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a global pandemic with ongoing cases and fatalities despite vaccination efforts.
• The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and lack of approved antiviral drugs present significant challenges in COVID-19 treatment and management.
• Drug repurposing is a vital strategy to expedite the identification of potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications of drug repurposing in the context of COVID-19.
• To highlight methods used in drug repurposing for COVID-19, including virtual screening, network pharmacology, and bioactivity assessments.
• To discuss the potential of repurposed drugs as beneficial treatments for COVID-19.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on drug repurposing strategies for COVID-19.
• Analysis of drug repurposing approaches based on virtual computer screening.
• Examination of network pharmacology and bioactivity-based drug discovery for COVID-19.

Main Results:

• Drug repurposing has emerged as a key strategy in the search for COVID-19 treatments.
• Virtual screening, network pharmacology, and bioactivity assays are effective methods for identifying candidate drugs.
• Several potential therapeutic agents have been identified through drug repurposing efforts.

Conclusions:

• Drug repurposing significantly accelerates the drug discovery timeline for COVID-19 therapies.
• The identified candidate drugs hold promise for effective COVID-19 treatment and management.
• Continued research into drug repurposing is crucial for combating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.