Drug development research
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Drug development research · Feb 2021
ReviewDesigning therapeutic strategies to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 disease: COVID-19.
A highly contagious coronavirus disease COVID-19 caused by a recently identified severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) initially detected in Wuhan, China has spread worldwide and become a major health crisis in the absence of specific vaccine or antiviral drugs. SARS-CoV-2 infection has resulted in overwhelming number of reported deaths. Unfortunately it is still spreading uncontrollably despite implementing stringent protective measures. ⋯ The current review elucidates the disease pathology and summarizes the possible therapeutic options to battle against COVID-19 on the basis of current state of understanding about SARS-CoV-2 pathogenic pathways and knowledge gained from previous SARS and MERS-CoV epidemics. Therapeutic strategies to treat and prevent infection as well as to suppress the disease progression to reduce severity and mortality rate is discussed. Drug candidates currently under consideration and undergoing clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment are highlighted.
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In this communication, we present arguments for androgen sensitivity as a likely determinant of COVID-19 disease severity. The androgen sensitivity model explains why males are more likely to develop severe symptoms while children are ostensibly resistant to infection. Further, the model explains the difference in COVID-19 mortality rates among different ethnicities. ⋯ In addition to theoretical epidemiological and molecular mechanisms, there are reports of high rates of androgenetic alopecia of from hospitalized COVID-19 patients due to severe symptoms. Androgen sensitivity is a likely determinant of COVID-19 disease severity. We believe that the evidence presented in this communication warrants the initiation of trials using anti-androgen agents.
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Drug development research · Aug 2020
COVID-19 treatment by repurposing drugs until the vaccine is in sight.
Corona virus disease (COVID-19) has created pandemic in the world as declared by WHO on March 12, 2020. It is a viral disease caused by SARS-CoV 2 virus and has affected large populations in over 120 countries. ⋯ Until such time that an effective vaccine is available for COVID-19 viral infection, one can repurpose known therapeutic drug molecules such as angiotensin receptor 2 blocker, a commonly used antihypertensive drug, to control COVID-19 virus from gaining entry into the host cell by blocking the angiotensin receptor. Clinical trials should also be undertaken to use statins, which are lipid-lowering drugs but have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties to prevent acute lung injury in COVID-19 infection.
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Drug development research · Aug 2020
Angiotensin receptor blockers as tentative SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics.
At the time of writing this commentary (February 2020), the coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic has already resulted in more fatalities compared with the SARS and MERS coronavirus epidemics combined. Therapeutics that may assist to contain its rapid spread and reduce its high mortality rates are urgently needed. Developing vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus may take many months. ⋯ A tentative suggestion based on existing therapeutics, which would likely be resistant to new coronavirus mutations, is to use available angiotensin receptor 1 (AT1R) blockers, such as losartan, as therapeutics for reducing the aggressiveness and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 virus infections. This idea is based on observations that the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) very likely serves as the binding site for SARS-CoV-2, the strain implicated in the current COVID-19 epidemic, similarly to strain SARS-CoV implicated in the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic. This commentary elaborates on the idea of considering AT1R blockers as tentative treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infections, and proposes a research direction based on datamining of clinical patient records for assessing its feasibility.
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Drug development research · Jul 2020
ReviewRevisiting potential druggable targets against SARS-CoV-2 and repurposing therapeutics under preclinical study and clinical trials: A comprehensive review.
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is one of the most contagious diseases in human history that has already affected millions of lives worldwide. To date, no vaccines or effective therapeutics have been discovered yet that may successfully treat COVID-19 patients or contain the transmission of the virus. Scientific communities across the globe responded rapidly and have been working relentlessly to develop drugs and vaccines, which may require considerable time. ⋯ In this review, we revisited the druggable targets that may hold promise in the development of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent. Progresses on the development of potential therapeutics and vaccines that are under the preclinical studies and clinical trials have been highlighted. We anticipate that this review will provide valuable information that would help to accelerate the development of therapeutics and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection.