Drug repurposing, what
it is and how it would be beneficial to people. Some of the already approved drugs
could be used for treating new diseases. Scientists across the globe are working
for the treatment of COVID-19. Drugs used for the treatment of HIV, Arthritis, Malaria are under study.
1. Chloroquine- this has
been used for the treatment of malaria in nearly a century.
It is a synthetic version of quinine that exist as natural compounds in the bark of cinchona trees.
Mechanism of action: It
slowdowns the entry of virus into the cells, that slows the rate of replication
2. Hydroxychloroquine- it
is closely related to chloroquine, it is considered as less toxic for malaria
treatment. In some other cases, it can also be used to treat autoimmune
diseases(lumps and rheumatoid arthritis). It is available in the market since 1950s.
Mechanism of action: This works by disrupting the communication
between cells in the immune system.
3. Kaletra- it is a
combination of two antiviral drugs. Lopinavir and ritonavir used for HIV. This drug is widely available and undergone
clinical trials.
Lopinavir- it prevents viral enzymes from cutting important
proteins(that are key to HIVs reproduction), whereas Ritonavir helps in
boosting of lopinavir concentration in cells.
Some study claimed that,
no benefits to COVID-19 patients.
4.Remdesivir- This drug
was developed to fight against Ebola, But failed to prove effective. But this
showed positive results against MERS and SARS. The working of this drug in
COVID-19 patients are unclear yet. But some studies showed that it blocks RNA
replication during the reproductive stage of
coronaviruses.
5.Losartan- it is a hypertension drug that reduces blood
pressure by preventing angiotensin(hormone) from binding receptors on blood
vessels
6.Favipiravir- It is a
flu drug developed in Japan. It showed prominent results in cases of COVID-19. This
drug has been used for the treatment of influenza in Japan. In march 2020, this
drug has been approved for experimental treatment for COVID-19 patients.
7.Actemra- It is an immunosuppressive drug that is used to
quiet cytokine storms. It has been approved for the treatment of rheumatoid
arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It works by blocking cell
receptors that bind to interleukin 6. IL-6 is a cytokine that can trigger
dangerous inflammatory cascades.
How Bats are not affected by COVID-19
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