Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Era: Insights from Case Studies Showing Pharmaceutical Peculiarities
COVID-19 may lead to severe respiratory distress syndrome and high risk of death in some patients. So far (January 2021), only the antiviral remdesivir has been approved, although no significant benefits in terms of mortality and clinical improvement were recently reported. In a setting where effect...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceutics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/3/302 |
| _version_ | 1797395299177594880 |
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| author | Milo Gatti Fabrizio De Ponti |
| author_facet | Milo Gatti Fabrizio De Ponti |
| author_sort | Milo Gatti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | COVID-19 may lead to severe respiratory distress syndrome and high risk of death in some patients. So far (January 2021), only the antiviral remdesivir has been approved, although no significant benefits in terms of mortality and clinical improvement were recently reported. In a setting where effective and safe treatments for COVID-19 are urgently needed, drug repurposing may take advantage of the fact that the safety profile of an agent is already well known and allows rapid investigation of the efficacy of potential treatments, at lower costs and with reduced risk of failure. Furthermore, novel pharmaceutical formulations of older agents (e.g., aerosolized administration of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, heparin, pirfenidone) have been tested in order to increase pulmonary delivery and/or antiviral effects of potentially active drugs, thus overcoming pharmacokinetic issues. In our review, we will highlight the importance of the drug repurposing strategy in the context of COVID-19, including regulatory and ethical aspects, with a specific focus on novel pharmaceutical formulations and routes of administration. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:32:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66d8fa564e694f868f58f391a7bed6f4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:32:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj.art-66d8fa564e694f868f58f391a7bed6f42023-12-11T18:25:17ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232021-02-0113330210.3390/pharmaceutics13030302Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Era: Insights from Case Studies Showing Pharmaceutical PeculiaritiesMilo Gatti0Fabrizio De Ponti1Pharmacology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyPharmacology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyCOVID-19 may lead to severe respiratory distress syndrome and high risk of death in some patients. So far (January 2021), only the antiviral remdesivir has been approved, although no significant benefits in terms of mortality and clinical improvement were recently reported. In a setting where effective and safe treatments for COVID-19 are urgently needed, drug repurposing may take advantage of the fact that the safety profile of an agent is already well known and allows rapid investigation of the efficacy of potential treatments, at lower costs and with reduced risk of failure. Furthermore, novel pharmaceutical formulations of older agents (e.g., aerosolized administration of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, heparin, pirfenidone) have been tested in order to increase pulmonary delivery and/or antiviral effects of potentially active drugs, thus overcoming pharmacokinetic issues. In our review, we will highlight the importance of the drug repurposing strategy in the context of COVID-19, including regulatory and ethical aspects, with a specific focus on novel pharmaceutical formulations and routes of administration.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/3/302drug repurposingCOVID-19pharmaceutical formulationshydroxychloroquineremdesivirlopinavir/ritonavir |
| spellingShingle | Milo Gatti Fabrizio De Ponti Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Era: Insights from Case Studies Showing Pharmaceutical Peculiarities Pharmaceutics drug repurposing COVID-19 pharmaceutical formulations hydroxychloroquine remdesivir lopinavir/ritonavir |
| title | Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Era: Insights from Case Studies Showing Pharmaceutical Peculiarities |
| title_full | Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Era: Insights from Case Studies Showing Pharmaceutical Peculiarities |
| title_fullStr | Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Era: Insights from Case Studies Showing Pharmaceutical Peculiarities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Era: Insights from Case Studies Showing Pharmaceutical Peculiarities |
| title_short | Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Era: Insights from Case Studies Showing Pharmaceutical Peculiarities |
| title_sort | drug repurposing in the covid 19 era insights from case studies showing pharmaceutical peculiarities |
| topic | drug repurposing COVID-19 pharmaceutical formulations hydroxychloroquine remdesivir lopinavir/ritonavir |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/3/302 |
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