Dr. Niamh O’Boyle provides an overview of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and discusses the drugs that are currently in use to treat COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There is a huge worldwide effort underway to discover vaccines and new drugs, and to repurpose old drugs to treat this disease.
In this Bruker webinar, Dr. Niamh O’Boyle will discuss the drugs that are currently being used to treat COVID-19: remdesivir, chloroquine and the combination of lopinavir/ritonavir. These drugs are being investigated as part of the World Health Organization’s ‘Solidarity’ international clinical trial. Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug with no other clinical use at present; lopinavir/ritonavir are used for treating HIV. Chloroquine and its related analogue hydroxychloroquine are anti-malarials discovered during one of the major global emergencies of the 20th century – World War II. After a brief introduction to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the viral life cycle, Dr. O’Boyle will conclude with the structures and mechanisms of action of these drugs.
Presenters
Assistant Professor
Pharmacy Trinity College Dublin