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

Lianxiang Luo; Qin Qiu; Fangfang Huang; Kaifeng Liu; Yongqi Lan; Xiaoling Li; Yuge Huang; Liao Cui; Hui Luo

doi:10.1016/j.jpha.2021.09.001

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

J Pharm Anal. 2021 Dec;11(6):683-690. doi: 10.1016/j.jpha.2021.09.001. Epub 2021 Sep 4.

Authors

Lianxiang Luo^{1

2}, Qin Qiu³, Fangfang Huang³, Kaifeng Liu⁴, Yongqi Lan⁴, Xiaoling Li⁵, Yuge Huang⁶, Liao Cui⁷, Hui Luo¹

Affiliations

¹ Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524023, Guangdong, China.
² Marine Medical Research Institute of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, 524023, Guangdong, China.
³ Graduate School, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524023, Guangdong, China.
⁴ The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524023, Guangdong, China.
⁵ Animal Experiment Center, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524023, Guangdong, China.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524023, Guangdong, China.
⁷ Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524023, Guangdong, China.

Abstract

Since December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been found to be the culprit in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), causing a global pandemic. Despite the existence of many vaccine programs, the number of confirmed cases and fatalities due to COVID-19 is still increasing. Furthermore, a number of variants have been reported. Because of the absence of approved anti-coronavirus drugs, the treatment and management of COVID-19 has become a global challenge. Under these circumstances, drug repurposing is an effective method to identify candidate drugs with a shorter cycle of clinical trials. Here, we summarize the current status of the application of drug repurposing in COVID-19, including drug repurposing based on virtual computer screening, network pharmacology, and bioactivity, which may be a beneficial COVID-19 treatment.

Keywords: 3C-like protease; COVID-19; Drug repurposing; SARS-CoV-2; Virtual screening.

Publication types

Review