Abstract

REMDESIVIR FOR COVID-19 TREATMENT: MECHANISM OF ACTION, SYNTHESIS, AND CLINICAL TRIALS

Dr. Pitambar Khanal*

ABSTRACT

The disease COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has spread worldwide as a pandemic. Discovery of vaccine or drugs for COVID-19 still become an ongoing battle for scientists. Hence testing for the efficacy of existing antiviral drugs has also become a priority. Remdesivir, originally developed for Ebola virus disease has shown some efficacy towards COVID-19 treatment. Chemically, remdesivir is a pro-drug, converted into a drug, nucleoside triphosphate analog (RDV-TP). RDV-TP binds with RNA dependant RNA polymerase (RdRp) to inhibit viral replication.

Keywords: Remdesivir, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Nucleoside Triphosphate, RNA dependant RNA polymerase, Remdesivir Synthesis.