Drug therapy
The current SARS-COV-2 virus is a completely new virus and has a different way to target human cells. Every virus has a different genomic structure and has a property to form different types of proteins so to tackle this every time a new type of drug is needed. This pandemic situation just arises a few months ago that’s why there is no specific vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The research community is doing enormous efforts in the development of an effective vaccine against CoVID-19. But currently, many vaccines are under clinical trial all across the globe. In the current situation, where the numbers of patients worldwide are increasing exponentially so to handle, doctors are trying and testing many antiviral, antimicrobial drugs to handle the situation. The drug molecules block the viral proteins and protect the host machinery.
2. Lopinavir and Ritonavir
3.Remdesivir (GS-5734)
Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine are from the quinolone family and both of them are non-FDA-approved antimalarial drugs and have shown in vitro activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As compare to chloroquine the hydroxychloroquine is more effective and has a higher in vitro antiviral effect. These drugs inhibit the function of viral enzyme-like RNA and DNA polymerase, virus release an assembly of viral protein glycosylation.
2. Lopinavir and Ritonavir
Lopinavir and Ritonavir have approved HIV Protease Inhibitor. It is an aspartic protease that disrupts the vital protein of the virus lifecycle. There in vitro and animal model-based studies shown its capability for the past coronavirus disease (MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV). The clinical shreds of evidence show that the drugs suppress and bind with a key enzyme Mpro which inhibits the replication of the virus.
3.Remdesivir (GS-5734)
Remdesivir is an Investigational Nucleoside Analogue prodrug that shows a broad-spectrum antiviral effect and could be a potential drug against coronavirus (Agostini et al 2018). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the antiviral drug Remdesivir for emergency use for the patient in severe condition from CoVID-19.
The researchers are looking for some other antiviral drugs which have the potential for the treatment of like nafamostat, favipiravir, etc for the effective treatment of CoVID-19 patients, while some more drugs are under clinical trials. However, more studies are required to limit the transmission and uncover the mechanism and replication mystery of the viral which provides a clear path to future research to end this pandemic.
