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Disulfiram: Alcoholism drug may help in fight against Covid-19

by Raju Vernekar
0 comment 3 minutes read

IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Aug. 9:

While a global hunt for a cure to COVID-19 infection continues, a group of researchers at NRUHSE University and “Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry” in Russia have identified “Disulfiram”,(a treatment drug for alcoholism) and “Neratinib”, (a drug used to treat breast cancer), to stop the multiplication capacity of “SARS-CoV-2”, the COVID-19 causing virus. 
The results, published in “Mendeleev Communications journal”, showed that these drugs were able to ‘switch off’ the enzyme vital for a protein on “SARS-CoV-2”s surface, and thus were able to stop the reproduction of the virus. Scientists will go ahead with  in-vitro trials of  ”Disulfiram” from 01, September. However the potency of “Neratinib” against the live nature of virus is yet to be proved. 
The latest tests performed on 27 July,2020 at the US-based Reaction Biology Corp, found “Disulfiram” “really inhibitory” in nature against the COVID-19, whereas “Neratinib” was found insufficient for clinical use.
 Among both the drugs, “Disulfiram”, a drug used to treat alcoholism, is easily available in India with a tablet of it costing no more than Rs 3 in retail. Four of the ten biggest makers of the drug are based in India, implying a self-sufficient nature of the drug as far as supply in India is concerned. 
FDA officials in Mumbai said that if the trials are successful it will be a great boon since, “Disulfiram” is highly recommended as an “anti-alcoholim” drug and it is available at much cheaper rate.  
Both the drugs, are found to be inhibiting the action of protease (Mpro) enzyme, and thus could put a full stop in further infection in the body. “Disulfiram” was found fighting COVID-19 symptoms such as the significant decrease in the concentration of antioxidants in the body, a deficiency that may lead to severe infection of COVID-19 in the body. 
The researchers from National Research University Higher School of Economics (NRUHSE) have noted that the structural elements of the novel coronavirus that are less subject to mutation during its evolution should be chosen as a target for the potential treatment. Otherwise, a medication effective against one strain would no longer be effective against another. 
The best candidates for this are conservative proteins, such as the “SARS-CoV-2” virus main protease M pro. In addition to being resistant to mutations, M pro plays a major role in coronavirus replication, which means that its inhibition is able to slow down or even completely stop its reproduction inside the body, the researchers said. 
The potential drugs were taken from the database of medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The modelling data demonstrated that sulphur-containing drugs show unusually high ligand efficiency at the active centre of SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro, but only disulfiram 4 retains stable interactions. It fights COVID-19 symptoms such as the significant decrease in reduced glutathione, which is an important antioxidant, according to the researchers. This deficiency may lead to severe manifestations of the disease, they said.

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