Review Articles

2021  |  Vol: 7(1)  |  Issue: 1(January-February)  |  https://doi.org/10.31024/ajpp.2021.7.1.5

A review of the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of selected drugs with potential to be repurposed against SARS-COV-2

Ukpe Ajima^1,2*, Jacob A. Kolawole^1,2, Kakjing D. Falang^1,3, Bukata B. Bukar^1,3, Kennedy I. Amagon^1,3, James G. Damen^1,4, Yusuf Agabi^1,5, Richard J. Kutshik^1,6, Ishaya Y. Longdet^1,6, Simji S. Gomerep^1,7, Ismaila Shittu^1,8, Stephen D. Davou^1,9, Noel N. Wannang^1,3

¹Plateau State Research Committee on Covid-19 and other infectious diseases, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

²Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,

University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

³Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

⁴Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

⁵Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

⁶Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

⁷Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

⁸National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria

⁹Plateau State Ministry of Health, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

*Address for Corresponding Author

Ukpe Ajima

Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry,

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

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Abstract

Background: The pandemic caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus has escalated rapidly and impacted human health worldwide, in addition to causing severe disruptions to socioeconomic life. There is presently no effective treatment for the disease and this underscores the urgent need for new therapeutic options against this life threatening disease. The traditional strategy for the development of new drugs is a slow and expensive process. Drug repurposing is a valuable alternative strategy that can be used to bypass some of the limitations of traditional drug discovery in order to rapidly develop new therapeutic agents for the management of Covid-19. Objectives: The present review x-rays recent efforts to re-purpose some antiviral drugs for the treatment of SARS-Cov-2 with an emphasis on the structure activity relationships (SAR) of the compounds. Methods: A systematic internet search of three academic databases of published literature was undertaken using relevant keywords and search terms which focused on drug re-purposing against SARS-CoV-2. Results: A total of 853 results were generated and evaluated. The results of the search were screened and relevant articles identified, yielding a total of 83 articles. Some of the drugs identified with potential for re-purposing against SARS-CoV-2 include: Arbidol, Favipiravir, Ribavirin, Nitazoxanide etc. Conclusion: It is hoped that the information generated in this review will help deepen understanding of the potential mechanism of anti-SARS-CoV-2 action of the compounds and also draw attention to opportunities that exist for structural modification of these molecules with the aim of improving and enhancing their selectivity and efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: Drug repurposing, drug design, SARS-CoV-2, Structure-activity-relationship (SAR), antiviral