Abstract:

Introduction: Drug repositioning is being actively pursued for Covid 19. Drug repositioning is also known as therapeutic switching, drug re purposing, drug re tasking or drug re profiling. This is the re tasking of a previously tested and approved drug to attempt to address the treatment requirements of a different disease or medical condition. Methods: A systematic search of Scopus, Web of science, PubMed and Google scholar was conducted to identify articles that involved studies on repurposing of drugs for clinical management of COVID-19 disease. The following ‘Medical Subject Headings’ (MeSH) terms and text words were used in the search in Scopus: (Drug Repurposing or Drug Re-profiling or Drug re-positioning) AND (Coronavirus disease) OR (COVID 19) OR (SARS-coronavirus-2 diseases.) The following ‘Medical Subject Headings’ (MeSH) terms and text words were used in the search in Web of Science: (Drug Repurposing or Drug Re-profiling or Drug re-positioning) AND (Coronavirus disease) OR (COVID 19) OR (SARS-coronavirus-2 diseases.) The following ‘Medical Subject Headings’ (MeSH) terms and text words were used in the search in Pubmed: (Drug Repurposing or Drug Re-profiling or Drug re-positioning) AND (Coronavirus disease) OR (COVID 19) OR (SARS-coronavirus-2 diseases.) The following ‘Medical Subject Headings’ (MeSH) terms and text words were used in the search in Google scholar: (Drug Repurposing or Drug Re-profiling or Drug re-positioning) AND (Coronavirus disease) OR (COVID 19) OR (SARS-coronavirus-2 diseases.) Results and Discussion: The Monoclonal antibodies space is seeing repositioning as well as development of new therapeutic alternatives specifically for Covid 19. The antibodies being investigated for repositioning are anti-IL-8 (BMS-986253) and anti-IL-6 agents (Tocilizumab). The antiviral therapeutic space is seeing significant research activity in re positioning previously developed and approved anti viral agents. These anti viral agents had been therapeutically weaponised against SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and the West Nile virus. The antivirals currently being repurposed are Favipiravir, Remdesivir, Umifenovir, Triazavarin and Ribavirin.  

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