COVID-19 Targeting Drugs

Abstract

This meta-analysis studies the development of COVID-19 (SARS COV-2) targeting drugs, their similarities in structure, and how that impacts the development of such drugs. Although it is already 2025, with the United States no longer being in a state of emergency, it is important to retroactively look at the development of novel drugs from 2020, in order to prevent similar pandemics from happening in the future.

Introduction

The emergence of COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has presented an unprecedented global health challenge. Since its initial outbreak in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the globe  taking hundreds of thousands of lives. Among diverse approaches explored to combat COVID-19, including quarantine and vaccination, the role of drug interventions has been a focal point of scientific research. The search for effective treatments has led to an extensive exploration of drug candidates with potential antiviral properties.

In this pursuit, many studies examining the relationship between drug structures and their efficacy against COVID-19 have been published. Although it is not as important now, retroactively investigating what led scientists to drugs that inhibit COVID-19 as well as patterns will help future scientists fight possibly another pandemic.

The studies I focused on roughly fell into two categories: ones detailing possible developments in drug development, and one dealing with tested compounds and their impacts on the SARS COV-2 virus.

Analysis Format

I thoroughly read through all the studies used in this meta-analysis multiple times over the course of multiple days to reduce the possibility of researcher error. On the second read, I took thorough notes on the studies. All of the studies cited are listed below in the “references” section.

Discussion

The search for effective drugs to combat COVID-19 has led researchers down a diverse and extensive path, exploring a multitude of compounds, ranging from naturally occurring substances found in plants to carefully designed synthetic molecules. This wide-ranging pursuit reflects the urgency and complexity of the global response to the pandemic.

However, as our meta-analysis reveals, despite many studies investigating the relationship between drug structure and COVID-19 treatment, there is no conclusive pattern that emerges.

Researchers have examined traditional antiviral medications and repurposed drugs originally designed for unrelated conditions, like rupintrivir and boceprevir. Additionally, natural compounds, such as those used in Chinese Traditional Medicine, have been investigated for their potential medicinal use.

Therefore, it is challenging to identify a one-size-fits-all solution for COVID-19 treatment, as diversity in drug candidates leads to a wide array of study designs, methodologies, and outcomes. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of scientific research means that new studies are continually conducted and published, which devalues earlier studies. This ever-evolving body of knowledge necessitates ongoing reviews and studies to refine our understanding of the relationship between drug structure and COVID-19 treatment.

References 

Adhikari, B., & Sahu, N. (2021). COVID‐19 into Chemical Science Perspective: Chemical Preventive Measures and Drug Development. Chemistryselect, 6(9), 2010–2028. https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.202100127

Gao, S., Huang, T., Song, L., Xu, S., Cheng, Y., Cherukupalli, S., Kang, D., Zhao, T., Sun, L., Zhang, J., Zhan, P., & Liu, X. (2021). Medicinal chemistry strategies towards the development of effective SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2021.08.027

Mahmoudi, S., Dehkordi, M. M., & Asgarshamsi, M. H. (2022). The effect of various compounds on the COVID mechanisms, from chemical to molecular aspects. Biophysical Chemistry, 288, 106824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106824

Tahir ul Qamar, M., Alqahtani, S. M., Alamri, M. A., & Chen, L.-L. (2020). Structural basis of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and anti-COVID-19 drug discovery from medicinal plants. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpha.2020.03.009

Walls, A. C., Park, Y.-J., Tortorici, M. A., Wall, A., McGuire, A. T., & Veesler, D. (2020). Structure, function, and antigenicity of the sars-cov-2 spike glycoprotein. Cell, 181(2), 281–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.058

Xu, J., Yu, X., Zhou, R., Shi, P.-Y., Li, H., & Zhou, J. (2020). Drug repurposing approach to combating coronavirus: Potential drugs and drug targets. ProQuest. https://doi.org/10.1002/med.21763

Yan, R., Zhang, Y., Li, Y., Xia, L., Guo, Y., & Zhou, Q. (2020). Structural basis for the recognition of the SARS-CoV-2 by full-length human ACE2. Science, 367(6485). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb2762

Yang, H., & Rao, Z. (2021). Structural biology of SARS-CoV-2 and implications for therapeutic development. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 19(11), 685–700. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00630-8

Yoosefian, M., Dashti, R., Mahani, M., Montazer, L., & Mir, A. (2023). A suitable drug structure for interaction with SARS‐CoV‐2 main protease between boceprevir, masitinib and rupintrivir; a molecular dynamics study. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 16(9), 105051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2023.105051

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