Compounds with therapeutic potential against Novel Respiratory 2019 Coronavirus

Abstract

Currently, the expansion of the novel human respiratory coronavirus (known as: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-2019, or 2019-nCoV) has stressed the need for therapeutic alternatives to alleviate and stop this new epidemic. The previous epidemics of high-morbidity human coronaviruses, such as the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2003, and the Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, prompted the characterization of compounds that could be potentially active against the currently emerging novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The most promising compound is remdesivir (GS-5734), a nucleotide analog prodrug currently in clinical trials for treating Ebola virus infections. Remdesivir inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV in tissue cultures, and it displayed efficacy in non-human animal models. In addition, a combination of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitors, lopinavir/ritonavir, and interferon beta (LPV/RTV-INFb) were shown to be effective in patients infected with SARS-CoV. LPV/RTV-INFb also improved clinical parameters in marmosets and mice infected with MERS-CoV. Remarkably, the therapeutic efficacy of remdesivir appeared to be superior to that of LPV/RTV-INFb against MERS-CoV in a transgenic humanized mice model. The relatively high mortality rates associated with these three novel human coronavirus infections, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, has suggested that pro-inflammatory responses might play a role in the pathogenesis. It remains unknown whether the generated inflammatory state should be targeted. Therapeutics that target the coronavirus alone might not be able to reverse highly pathogenic infections. This minireview aimed to provide a summary of therapeutic compounds that showed potential in fighting SARS-CoV-2 infections.