Antiviral drugs prioritization for COVID-19 management based on rational selection

The SARS-CoV-2 infection has resulted in COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. It has infected around 0.1 billion individuals and caused 2 million fatalities across the globe till mid-January 2021. Drug repurposing has been utilized as the most preferred therapeutic intervention for COVID-19 mitigation due to its necessity and feasibility. To prioritize therapeutic regime against COVID-19, we used 61 antiviral drugs and their combinations. Selected molecules were subjected to virtual screening against: (i) human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor binding domain (hACE-2) which serves as an anchor for virus attachment and entry, (ii) SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) responsible for viral RNA replication, and (iii) SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M-Pro) needed for viral polyprotein slab proteolytic processing. Based on docking score, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic parameters, combinations of Daclatasvir, Elbasvir, Indinavir, Ledipasvir, Paritaprevir and Rilpivirine were analysed further. Our analysis suggested Sofosbuvir in combination with Ledipasvir and Daclatasvir as potential therapeutic agents for SARS-CoV-2. The combined score suggests that these combinations have superior anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential than Remdesivir and other investigational drugs. The present work provides a rationale-based approach to select drugs with possible anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity for further clinical evaluation.