Introduction to Drug Repurposing for Antiviral Therapy

Abstract

Multiple deaths result from infections caused by viruses worldwide. In recent years the world has experienced multiple outbreaks of viral diseases that were once considered harmless. These diseases have been ignored for a long time, and there are no approved medications or vaccinations, leaving the pharmaceutical industry and various research groups running out of time to find new therapies or prevention strategies. Developing new antiviral compounds costs $350 million to $2 billion, and it takes 10-15 years for the compound to transition from medical labs to clinics worldwide. Increased interest in medication repurposing methods has emerged to address these shortcomings. New drug repurposing strategies have significantly reduced the rate of failure, which was previously around 92%. Since it uses safe pharmaceuticals, medication repurposing is rapid and cost-effective. This chapter focuses on recent developments in identifying broad-spectrum antiviral drugs through repurposing existing medications. It was determined that there are two basic groups of repurposed antivirals: direct-acting antivirals (DARA) and host-targeting antivirals (HTRA). Specific categories were used to highlight a variety of approaches to repurposing medications for the treatment of viral infectious diseases such as Ebola, ZIKA, dengue, influenza, HIV, HSV, and CMV, amongst others. Drug repurposing is a promising way to generate novel antiviral drugs swiftly for addressing challenges in antiviral treatment, and it is one of the most efficient methods that can be used. The outcomes of pharmacological repurposing that present the most favorable outcomes for the treatment of infectious diseases are presented in this chapter.