An Indian-American researcher in the US has identified 4 antiviral drugs which also includes remdesivir which can be effective in preventing the replication of the novel coronavirus disease which causes COVID-19. It can be noted that Remdesivir was originally developed to treat Ebola.
Kamlendra Singh and his team used a computer aided drug design to understand the effectiveness of remdesivir, 5-fluorouracil, ribavirin and favipiravir in the treatment of COVID-19.
Singh said: “As researchers, we have an obligation to search for possible treatments given that so many people are dying from this virus.”
The researcher added: “These antiviral drugs, if they turn out to be effective, all have some limitations. But in the midst of a global pandemic, they are worth taking a deeper look at because based on our research, we have reason to believe that all of these drugs could potentially be effective in treating COVID-19.”
It can be noted that COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 and it has the ability to mutate and also develop resistance to antiviral drugs.
Singh further noted: “Our goal is to help doctors by providing options for possible treatments of COVID-19, and to ultimately contribute in improving the health outcomes of patients suffering from the infectious disease.”
