Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity of Adamantanes In Vitro and in Animal Models of Infection

Nascent pharmacological advancement in adamantane derivatives

The adamantane moiety has attracted significant attention since its discovery in 1933 due to its remarkable structural, chemical, and medicinal properties. This molecule has a notable impact in the therapeutic field because of its "add-on" lipophilicity to any pharmacophoric moieties. As in the case of molecular hybridization, in which one pharmacophore is attached to another one(s) with a probability of increasing the biological activity, adding an adamantane unit improves the absorption distribution, metabolism and excretion properties of the resultant hybrid molecule. This review summarizes various reports highlighting the biological activities of adamantane-based synthetic compounds and their structure-activity relationship study. The information presented in this review may open up possible dimensions for adamantane-based drug development and discovery in the pharmaceutical industry after proper structural modifications.

Potential Drugs in COVID-19 Management

The SARS-CoV-2 virus first emerged in China in December 2019 and quickly spread worldwide. Despite the absence of a vaccination or authorized drug specifically developed to combat this infection, certain medications recommended for other diseases have shown potential effectiveness in treating COVID-19, although without definitive confirmation. This review aims to evaluate the existing literature on the efficacy of these medications against COVID-19. The review encompasses various potential treatments, including antiviral medications, anti-malaria and anti-rheumatic drugs, vaccines, corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antipyretic and analgesic medicines, antiparasitic drugs, and statins. The analysis also addresses the potential benefits and drawbacks of these medications, as well as their effects on hypertension and diabetes. Although these therapies hold promise against COVID-19, further research, including suitable product production or clinical testing, is needed to establish their therapeutic efficacy.

Experimental drugs in randomized controlled trials for long-COVID: what's in the pipeline? A systematic and critical review

INTRODUCTION

Over three years have passed since the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and yet the treatment for long-COVID, a post-COVID-19 syndrome, remains long overdue. Currently, there is no standardized treatment available for long-COVID, primarily due to the lack of funding for post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS). Nevertheless, the past few years have seen a renewed interest in long-COVID research, with billions of dollars allocated for this purpose. As a result, multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been funded in the quest to find an effective treatment for long-COVID.

AREAS COVERED

This systematic review identified and evaluated the potential of current drug treatments for long-COVID, examining both completed and ongoing RCTs.

EXPERT OPINION

We identified four completed and 22 ongoing RCTs, investigating 22 unique drugs. However, most drugs were deemed to not have high potential for treating long-COVID, according to three pre-specified domains, a testament to the ordeal of treating long-COVID. Given that long-COVID is highly multifaceted with several proposed subtypes, treatments likely need to be tailored accordingly. Currently, rintatolimod appears to have modest to high potential for treating the myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) subtype, LTY-100 and Treamid for pulmonary fibrosis subtype, and metformin for general long-COVID prevention.