The new oral antiviral agents for COVID-19
Suranjith Luke Seneviratnea b✉, Chamara Dalugamac, P. Madanayaked, B. Samaraweerae, Jayani Kariyawasamf, V. Abeysuriyag
- aRoyal Free Hospital and University College London, UK
- bConsultant Physician Nawaloka Hospital Research and Education Foundation, Nawaloka Hospitals PLC
- cFaculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya
- dJohn Radcliffe Hospital Oxford
- eLiberty Publishers Private Limited
- fSir John Kotalawala Defence University, Ratmalana
- gRoyal Free Hospital and University College London
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), has so far affected more than 275 million individuals globally and caused over 5.3 million deaths. With an effective vaccine, disease and infection could be prevented, whereas with antivirals and monoclonal antibodies, disease progression could be mitigated. In recent months, there has been much interest in evaluating the use of oral antivirals, in those having mild disease and associated risk factors for disease progression (such as multiple comorbidities), in view of preventing severe COVID-19. Our review discusses the known properties and identified effectiveness of three oral antiviral drugs (Molnupiravir, Paxlovid and AT-527) for COVID-19 (as at end of December 2021) and explores their potential role in mitigating the ill effects of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.