Ensitrelvir as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • INTRODUCTION: First-generation therapeutics have improved clinical outcomes in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, viral evolution has produced variants and subvariants capable of resisting many of these drugs and novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. AREAS COVERED: A corporate compound library screen identified ensitrelvir (formerly S-217622), a non-covalent, non-peptidic, orally bioavailable small-molecule protease inhibitor as a potential treatment for SARS-CoV-2. Ensitrelvir cleaves the active site of the 3C-like protease (3CLpro), which is conserved across SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants, with no human cell protease with similar specificity. EXPERT OPINION: Ensitrelvir demonstrates strong in vitro antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which have driven new waves of infection throughout 2022, suggesting a potential therapeutic option for patients with COVID-19. This manuscript reviews what is known about ensitrelvir and explores how this drug may be used in the future to address the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

publication date

  • November 10, 2022

Research

keywords

  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • SARS-CoV-2

Identity

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1080/14656566.2022.2146493

PubMed ID

  • 36350029