Advantages of the Parent Nucleoside GS-441524 over Remdesivir for Covid-19 Treatment

Victoria C Yan; Florian L Muller

doi:10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00316

Advantages of the Parent Nucleoside GS-441524 over Remdesivir for Covid-19 Treatment

ACS Med Chem Lett. 2020 Jun 23;11(7):1361-1366. doi: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00316. eCollection 2020 Jul 9.

Authors

Victoria C Yan¹, Florian L Muller¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States.

Abstract

While remdesivir has garnered much hope for its moderate anti-Covid-19 effects, its parent nucleoside, GS-441524, has been overlooked. Pharmacokinetic analysis of remdesivir evidences premature serum hydrolysis to GS-441524; GS-441524 is the predominant metabolite reaching the lungs. With its synthetic simplicity and in vivo efficacy in the veterinary setting, we contend that GS-441524 is superior to remdesivir for Covid-19 treatment.