Molnupiravir, a New Antiviral Drug for the Treatment of COVID-19

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China in late December 2019 and quickly spread to many countries around the world. Antiviral drugs are candidate treatments for the treatment of COVID-19. Molnupiravir, the first oral antiviral drug, is a drug with anti-RNA polymerase activity and is currently being used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. In this review, we aimed to discuss the mechanism of action, safety, efficacy and clinical studies of molnupiravir in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.

Keywords

• SARS-CoV-2
• COVID-19
• Molnupiravir

References

1. 1. Jayk Bernal, A. et al. N. English J. Med. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2116044 (2021).
2. 2. Woolhouse ME, Brierley L., McCaffery C., Lycett S. Evaluation of the epidemic potential of RNA and DNA viruses. Emergency Infection Dis. 2016; 22 :2037–2044. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
3. 3. Shu B., Gong P. Structural basis of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase catalysis and translocation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA A. 2016; 113 :E4005–E4014. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
4. 4. Gorbalenya AE, Pringle FM, Zeddam JL, Luke BT, Cameron CE, Kalmakoff J., Hanzlik TN, Gordon KH, Ward VK Palm subdomain-based active site is internally in viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of an ancient lineage. allowed. . J Mol Biol. 2002; 324 :47-62. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
5. 5. De Clercq E., Li G. Antiviral drugs approved in the last 50 years. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2016; 29 :695–747. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
6. 6. Jordheim LP, Durantel D., Zoulim F., Dumontet C. Advances in the development of nucleoside and nucleotide analogues for cancer and viral diseases. Nat Rev Pharmaceutical Diskov. 2013; 12 :447-464. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
7. 7. Jordan PC, Stevens SK, Deval J. Nucleosides for the treatment of respiratory RNA virus infections. Antivir Chemistry Chemotherapy. 2018; 26 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
8. 8. 17. Giry C., Roquebert B., Li-Pat-Yuen G., Gasque P., Jaffar-Bandjee MC Enhanced detection of genus-specific Alphavirus using a generic TaqMan® assay. BMC Microbiology. 2017; 17 :164. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]

9. 9. Forrester NL, Wertheim JO, Dugan VG, Auguste AJ, Lin D., Adams AP, Chen R., Gorchakov R., Leal G., Estrada-Franco JG, et al. Evolution and spread of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis complex alphavirus in the Americas. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017; 11 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
10. 10. Bestetti RB, Furlan-Daniel R., Silva VMR Pharmacological treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients: A comprehensive review. int. J. Environment. Res. Public health. 2021;18:7212. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18137212. - DOI - PMC - PubMed