Scientists around the globe are working hard to create potential drugs against COVID-19. They also are evaluating the effectiveness of various antiviral drugs as possible COVID-19 treatments.
A scientist at the University of Missouri has identified four antiviral drugs that are effective in inhibiting the replication of the coronavirus. One of the drugs includes remdesivir, a drug originally developed to treat Ebola.
The scientist named Kamlendra Singh, along with his team, used computer-aided drug design to examine the effectiveness of remdesivir, 5-fluorouracil, ribavirin, and favipiravir in treating COVID-19. He found that all four drugs can potentially block the coronavirus’ RNA proteins from making genomic copies of the virus.
Singh said, “As researchers, we must search for possible treatments given that so many people are dying from this virus. These antiviral drugs, if they turn out to be effective, all have some limitations. But amid a global pandemic, they are worth taking a deeper look at because, based on our research, we have reason to believe that all of these drugs could potentially be effective in treating COVID-19.”
“Our goal is to help doctors by providing options for possible treatments of COVID-19 and to ultimately contribute to improving the health outcomes of patients suffering from infectious disease.”
Journal Reference:
- Ujjwal Neogi, Feasibility of Known RNA Polymerase Inhibitors as Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Drugs. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9050320