Innovative, rapid, high throughput method for drug repurposing in a pandemic - a case study of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19

Bello, S. O.; Yunusa, A.; Adamu, A. A.; Imam, M. U.; Bello, M. B.; Shuaibu, A. B.; Igumbor, E. U.; Habib, Z. G.; Popoola, M. A.; Ochu, C. L.; Bello, A. Y.; Deeni, Y. Y.; Okoye, I.

doi:10.1101/2022.12.25.521651

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.12.25.521651

Innovative, rapid, high throughput method for drug repurposing in a pandemic - a case study of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19

Bello, S. O.·Yunusa, A.·Adamu, A. A.·Imam, M. U.·Bello, M. B.·Shuaibu, A. B.·Igumbor, E. U.·Habib, Z. G.·Popoola, M. A.·Ochu, C. L.·Bello, A. Y.·Deeni, Y. Y.·Okoye, I.

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Abstract

Several efforts to repurpose drugs for COVID-19 treatment have largely either failed to identify a suitable agent or agents identified did not translate to clinical use; either because of demonstrated lack of clinical efficacy in trials, inappropriate dose requirements and probably use of inappropriate pre-clinical laboratory surrogates of effectiveness. In this study, we used an innovative algorithm, that incorporates dissemination and implementation considerations, to identify potential drugs for COVID-19 using iterative computational and wet laboratory methods that highlight inhibition of viral induced cytopathic effect (CPE) as a laboratory surrogate of effectiveness. Erythromycin, pyridoxine, folic acid and retapamulin were found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 induced CPE in Vero cells at concentrations that are clinically achievable. Additional studies may be required to further characterize the inhibitions of CPE and the possible mechanisms. FundingTETFund Covid-19 Special Intervention Research grant(grant number TETFund/DR&D/CE/ SI/COVID-19/UDUS/VOL 1)

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Bello, S. O., Yunusa, A., Adamu, A. A., Imam, M. U., Bello, M. B., Shuaibu, A. B., Igumbor, E. U., Habib, Z. G., Popoola, M. A., Ochu, C. L., Bello, A. Y., Deeni, Y. Y., Okoye, I.. 2022-12-26. Innovative, rapid, high throughput method for drug repurposing in a pandemic - a case study of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.25.521651

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