Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 132 in total

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  1. WHO Solidarity Trial Consortium, Pan H, Peto R, Henao-Restrepo AM, Preziosi MP, Sathiyamoorthy V, et al.
    N Engl J Med, 2021 Feb 11;384(6):497-511.
    PMID: 33264556 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2023184
    BACKGROUND: World Health Organization expert groups recommended mortality trials of four repurposed antiviral drugs - remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, and interferon beta-1a - in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

    METHODS: We randomly assigned inpatients with Covid-19 equally between one of the trial drug regimens that was locally available and open control (up to five options, four active and the local standard of care). The intention-to-treat primary analyses examined in-hospital mortality in the four pairwise comparisons of each trial drug and its control (drug available but patient assigned to the same care without that drug). Rate ratios for death were calculated with stratification according to age and status regarding mechanical ventilation at trial entry.

    RESULTS: At 405 hospitals in 30 countries, 11,330 adults underwent randomization; 2750 were assigned to receive remdesivir, 954 to hydroxychloroquine, 1411 to lopinavir (without interferon), 2063 to interferon (including 651 to interferon plus lopinavir), and 4088 to no trial drug. Adherence was 94 to 96% midway through treatment, with 2 to 6% crossover. In total, 1253 deaths were reported (median day of death, day 8; interquartile range, 4 to 14). The Kaplan-Meier 28-day mortality was 11.8% (39.0% if the patient was already receiving ventilation at randomization and 9.5% otherwise). Death occurred in 301 of 2743 patients receiving remdesivir and in 303 of 2708 receiving its control (rate ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81 to 1.11; P = 0.50), in 104 of 947 patients receiving hydroxychloroquine and in 84 of 906 receiving its control (rate ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.59; P = 0.23), in 148 of 1399 patients receiving lopinavir and in 146 of 1372 receiving its control (rate ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.25; P = 0.97), and in 243 of 2050 patients receiving interferon and in 216 of 2050 receiving its control (rate ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.39; P = 0.11). No drug definitely reduced mortality, overall or in any subgroup, or reduced initiation of ventilation or hospitalization duration.

    CONCLUSIONS: These remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, and interferon regimens had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with Covid-19, as indicated by overall mortality, initiation of ventilation, and duration of hospital stay. (Funded by the World Health Organization; ISRCTN Registry number, ISRCTN83971151; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04315948.).

    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*
  2. Hassan M, Patel DK, Subrayan V
    Ann Ophthalmol (Skokie), 2009;41(3-4):203-5.
    PMID: 20214058
    We present a case of a newly acquired herpetic infection in the graft after penetrating keratoplasty.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  3. Stock I
    Med Monatsschr Pharm, 2014 Jan;37(1):4-10; quiz 11-2.
    PMID: 24490433
    Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious, world-wide distributed viral illness that affects predominantly children. It is caused by several enteroviruses, such as coxsackieviruses A6, A10, A16 and enterovirus 71. In most cases, HFMD follows a benign and self-limiting course. After an incubation period of 3 to 10 days, fever and sore throat, the first symptoms of the disease, appear. A few days later, maculopapular or vesicular eruptions form on the palms and soles as well as in the oral cavity. Since the year 2000, several large HFMD outbreaks have been reported in many Asian regions such as China, Malaysia and Vietnam. In some of these outbreaks, high incidences of severe progressive HFMD forms with some fatalities were observed. Such diseases have been caused primarily by enterovirus 71 strains and were characterized frequently by sudden onset of fever, encephalitis/meningitis and severe respiratory symptoms such as pulmonary edema. Further severe neurological and cardiac complications have also been observed during these outbreaks. Recently, some HFMD outbreaks caused by the coxsackievirus A6 have been reported in several parts of the world. These illnesses also affected adults and were characterized by more severe symptoms of "classical" HFMD. In addition, outbreaks of coxsackievirus-A6-associated HFMD in many countries were associated with onychomadesis, with the loss of nails occurring up to two months after initial symptoms. Treatment of "classical" HFMD is usually symptomatic, a generally recommended antiviral therapy does not exist. In severe HFMD cases, suitable treatment also encompasses mechanical ventilation, as well as the additional application of antiviral agents such as ribavirin. In the last years, several novel agents with good in vitro and in vivo activity against enteroviruses have been developed. A vaccine against HFMD is not yet available.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*
  4. Hassan MRA, Chan HK, Nordin M, Yahya R, Sulaiman WRW, Merican SAA, et al.
    Harm Reduct J, 2023 Apr 12;20(1):48.
    PMID: 37046294 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00780-3
    BACKGROUND: Despite advancements in hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, low uptake among hard-to-reach populations remains a global issue. The current study aimed to assess the feasibility of a modified same-day test-and-treat model in improving HCV care for people who inject drugs (PWID) living in resource-constrained rural areas.

    METHODS: A pilot study was conducted in four primary healthcare (PHC) centers in Malaysia. The model's key features included on-site HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) testing using a shared GeneXpert® system; noninvasive biomarkers for cirrhosis diagnosis; and extended care to PWID referred from nearby PHC centers and outreach programs. The feasibility assessment focused on three aspects of the model: demand (i.e., uptake of HCV RNA testing and treatment), implementation (i.e., achievement of each step in the HCV care cascade), and practicality (i.e., ability to identify PWID with HCV and expedite treatment initiation despite resource constraints).

    RESULTS: A total of 199 anti-HCV-positive PWID were recruited. They demonstrated high demand for HCV care, with a 100% uptake of HCV RNA testing and 97.4% uptake of direct-acting antiviral treatment. The rates of HCV RNA positivity (78.4%) and sustained virologic response (92.2%) were comparable to standard practice, indicating the successful implementation of the model. The model was also practical, as it covered non-opioid-substitution-therapy-receiving individuals and enabled same-day treatment in 71.1% of the participants.

    CONCLUSIONS: The modified same-day test-and-treat model is feasible in improving HCV care for rural PWID. The study finding suggests its potential for wider adoption in HCV care for hard-to-reach populations.

    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  5. Azzeri A, Dahlui M, Mohamed R, McDonald SA, Jaafar H, Shabaruddin FH
    Front Public Health, 2023;11:1114560.
    PMID: 36935675 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1114560
    INTRODUCTION: A scaled-up treatment cascade with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy is necessary to achieve global WHO targets for hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination in Malaysia. Recently, limited access to sofosbuvir/daclatasvir (SOF/DAC) is available through compulsory licensing, with access to sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) expected through voluntary licensing due to recent agreements. SOF/VEL has superior clinical outcomes but has higher drug acquisition costs compared to SOF/DAC. A stratified treatment cascade might be the most cost-efficient approach for Malaysia whereby all HCV patients are treated with SOF/DAC except for patients with cirrhosis who are treated with SOF/VEL.

    METHODS: This study aimed to conduct a 5-year budget impact analysis of the proposed stratified treatment cascade for HCV treatment in Malaysia. A disease progression model that was developed based on model-predicted HCV epidemiology data was used for the analysis, where all HCV patients in scenario A were treated with SOF/DAC for all disease stages while in scenario B, SOF/DAC was used only for non-cirrhotic patients and SOF/VEL was used for the cirrhotic patients. Healthcare costs associated with DAA therapy and disease stage monitoring were included to estimate the downstream cost implications.

    RESULTS: The stratified treatment cascade with 109 in Scenario B was found to be cost-saving compared to Scenario A. The cumulative savings for the stratified treatment cascade was USD 1.4 million over 5 years.

    DISCUSSION: A stratified treatment cascade with SOF/VEL was expected to be cost-saving and can result in a budget impact reduction in overall healthcare expenditure in Malaysia.

    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  6. Chen DS, Hamoudi W, Mustapha B, Layden J, Nersesov A, Reic T, et al.
    J Viral Hepat, 2017 10;24 Suppl 2:44-63.
    PMID: 29105286 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.12759
    The hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic was forecasted through 2030 for 17 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, and interventions for achieving the Global Health Sector Strategy on viral hepatitis targets-"WHO Targets" (65% reduction in HCV-related deaths, 90% reduction in new infections and 90% of infections diagnosed by 2030) were considered. Scaling up treatment and diagnosis rates over time would be required to achieve these targets in all but one country, even with the introduction of high SVR therapies. The scenarios developed to achieve the WHO Targets in all countries studied assumed the implementation of national policies to prevent new infections and to diagnose current infections through screening.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  7. Rahman MA, Rahman MS, Bashir NMB, Mia R, Hossain A, Saha SK, et al.
    Int J Med Mushrooms, 2021;23(5):1-11.
    PMID: 34347990 DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2021038285
    Since December 2019, a de novo pattern of pneumonia, later named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has caused grave upset throughout the global population. COVID-19 is associated with several comorbidities; thus, preventive and therapeutic strategies targeting those comorbidities along with the causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), seem imperative. In this state-of-the-art review, edible and medicinal mushrooms are featured in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pathomanifestations, and comorbid issues. Because this is not an original research article, we admit our shortcomings in inferences. Yet we are hopeful that mushroom-based therapeutic approaches can be used to achieve a COVID-free world. Among various mushroom species, reishi or lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum) seem most suitable as anti-COVID agents for the global population.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*
  8. Rawangkan A, Kengkla K, Kanchanasurakit S, Duangjai A, Saokaew S
    Molecules, 2021 Jun 30;26(13).
    PMID: 34209247 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26134014
    Influenza is one of the most serious respiratory viral infections worldwide. Although several studies have reported that green tea catechins (GTCs) might prevent influenza virus infection, this remains controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies with 5,048 participants that examined the effect of GTC administration on influenza prevention. In a random-effects meta-analysis of five RCTs, 884 participants treated with GTCs showed statistically significant effects on the prevention of influenza infection compared to the control group (risk ratio (RR) 0.67, 95%CIs 0.51-0.89, P = 0.005) without evidence of heterogeneity (I2= 0%, P = 0.629). Similarly, in three cohort studies with 2,223 participants treated with GTCs, there were also statistically significant effects (RR 0.52, 95%CIs 0.35-0.77, P = 0.001) with very low evidence of heterogeneity (I2 = 3%, P = 0.358). Additionally, the overall effect in the subgroup analysis of gargling and orally ingested items (taking capsules and drinking) showed a pooled RR of 0.62 (95% CIs 0.49-0.77, P = 0.003) without heterogeneity (I2= 0%, P = 0.554). There were no obvious publication biases (Egger's test (P = 0.138) and Begg's test (P = 0.103)). Our analysis suggests that green tea consumption is effective in the prophylaxis of influenza infections. To confirm the findings before implementation, longitudinal clinical trials with specific doses of green tea consumption are warranted.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*
  9. Faheem, Kumar BK, Sekhar KVGC, Kunjiappan S, Jamalis J, Balaña-Fouce R, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2020 Nov;104:104269.
    PMID: 32947136 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104269
    COVID-19 caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 has been declared a pandemic by the WHO is causing havoc across the entire world. As of May end, about 6 million people have been affected, and 367 166 have died from COVID-19. Recent studies suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 genome shares about 80% similarity with the SARS-CoV-1 while their protein RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) shares 96% sequence similarity. Remdesivir, an RdRp inhibitor, exhibited potent activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. 3-Chymotrypsin like protease (also known as Mpro) and papain-like protease, have emerged as the potential therapeutic targets for drug discovery against coronaviruses owing to their crucial role in viral entry and host-cell invasion. Crystal structures of therapeutically important SARS-CoV-2 target proteins, namely, RdRp, Mpro, endoribonuclease Nsp15/NendoU and receptor binding domain of CoV-2 spike protein has been resolved, which have facilitated the structure-based design and discovery of new inhibitors. Furthermore, studies have indicated that the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 use the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor for its attachment similar to SARS-CoV-1, which is followed by priming of spike protein by Transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) which can be targeted by a proven inhibitor of TMPRSS2, camostat. The current treatment strategy includes repurposing of existing drugs that were found to be effective against other RNA viruses like SARS, MERS, and Ebola. This review presents a critical analysis of druggable targets of SARS CoV-2, new drug discovery, development, and treatment opportunities for COVID-19.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*
  10. Suppiah J, Yusof MA, Othman KA, Saraswathy TS, Thayan R, Kasim FM, et al.
    PMID: 21323171
    The 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) infection in Malaysia was first reported in May 2009 and oseltamivir was advocated for confirmed cases in postexposure prophylaxis. However, there are cases of oseltamivir-resistance reported among H1N1-positive patients in other countries. Resistance is due to substitution of histidine by tyrosine at residue 275 (H275Y) of neuraminidase (NA). In this study, we have employed Sanger sequencing method to investigate the occurrence of mutations in NA segments of 67 pandemic 2009 A(H1N1) viral isolates from Malaysian patients that could lead to probable oseltamivir resistance. The sequencing analysis did not yield mutation at residue 275 for all 67 isolates indicating that our viral isolates belong to the wild type and do not confer resistance to oseltamivir.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  11. Momtazmanesh S, Ochs HD, Uddin LQ, Perc M, Routes JM, Vieira DN, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2020 06;102(6):1181-1183.
    PMID: 32323644 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0281
    Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), named a pandemic by the WHO, is the current global health crisis. National and international collaboration are indispensable for combating COVID-19 and other similar potential outbreaks. International efforts to tackle this complex problem have led to remarkable scientific advances. Yet, as a global society, we can and must take additional measures to fight this pandemic. Undoubtedly, our approach toward COVID-19 was not perfect, and testing has not been deployed fast enough to arrest the epidemic early on. It is critical that we revise our approaches to be more prepared for pandemics as a united body by promoting global cooperation and commitment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  12. Tajunisah I, Reddy SC
    Compr Ther, 2007;33(1):25-31.
    PMID: 17984490
    Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is known to occur in conjunction with primary varicella or chickenpox infection. The majority of ARN cases reported in the literature were of milder form with mild to moderate vitritis, limited retinitis, and rare occurrence of retinal breaks or detachment that responded well to intravenous acyclovir, with or without oral prednisolone. We report a case of unilateral ARN with marked vitritis and retinal necrosis leading to retinal breaks following chickenpox in a 32-year-old healthy lady. This patient was successfully treated with intravenous acyclovir followed by oral acyclovir and orbital floor triamcinolone injections to contain the inflammation with barrier laser therapy to secure the retinal breaks with good visual outcome. This case is unusual in its severity, and to our knowledge, orbital floor triamcinolone therapy was not used earlier to contain ARN inflammation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  13. Maaroufi A, Vince A, Himatt SM, Mohamed R, Fung J, Opare-Sem O, et al.
    J Viral Hepat, 2017 10;24 Suppl 2:8-24.
    PMID: 29105285 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.12762
    Due to the introduction of newer, more efficacious treatment options, there is a pressing need for policy makers and public health officials to develop or adapt national hepatitis C virus (HCV) control strategies to the changing epidemiological landscape. To do so, detailed, country-specific data are needed to characterize the burden of chronic HCV infection. In this study of 17 countries, a literature review of published and unpublished data on HCV prevalence, viraemia, genotype, age and gender distribution, liver transplants and diagnosis and treatment rates was conducted, and inputs were validated by expert consensus in each country. Viraemic prevalence in this study ranged from 0.2% in Hong Kong to 2.4% in Taiwan, while the largest viraemic populations were in Nigeria (2 597 000 cases) and Taiwan (569 000 cases). Diagnosis, treatment and liver transplant rates varied widely across the countries included in this analysis, as did the availability of reliable data. Addressing data gaps will be critical for the development of future strategies to manage and minimize the disease burden of hepatitis C.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  14. Kamal MA, Smith PF, Chaiyakunapruk N, Wu DBC, Pratoomsoot C, Lee KKC, et al.
    Br J Clin Pharmacol, 2017 07;83(7):1580-1594.
    PMID: 28176362 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.13229
    AIMS: A modular interdisciplinary platform was developed to investigate the economic impact of oseltamivir treatment by dosage regimen under simulated influenza pandemic scenarios.

    METHODS: The pharmacology module consisted of a pharmacokinetic distribution of oseltamivir carboxylate daily area under the concentration-time curve at steady state (simulated for 75 mg and 150 mg twice daily regimens for 5 days) and a pharmacodynamic distribution of viral shedding duration obtained from phase II influenza inoculation data. The epidemiological module comprised a susceptible, exposed, infected, recovered (SEIR) model to which drug effect on the basic reproductive number (R0 ), a measure of transmissibility, was linked by reduction of viral shedding duration. The number of infected patients per population of 100 000 susceptible individuals was simulated for a series of pandemic scenarios, varying oseltamivir dose, R0 (1.9 vs. 2.7), and drug uptake (25%, 50%, and 80%). The number of infected patients for each scenario was entered into the health economics module, a decision analytic model populated with branch probabilities, disease utility, costs of hospitalized patients developing complications, and case-fatality rates. Change in quality-adjusted life years was determined relative to base case.

    RESULTS: Oseltamivir 75 mg relative to no treatment reduced the median number of infected patients, increased change in quality-adjusted life years by deaths averted, and was cost-saving under all scenarios; 150 mg relative to 75 mg was not cost effective in low transmissibility scenarios but was cost saving in high transmissibility scenarios.

    CONCLUSION: This methodological study demonstrates proof of concept that the disciplines of pharmacology, disease epidemiology and health economics can be linked in a single quantitative framework.

    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*
  15. Wu DBC, Chaiyakunapruk N, Pratoomsoot C, Lee KKC, Chong HY, Nelson RE, et al.
    Epidemiol Infect, 2018 03;146(4):496-507.
    PMID: 29446343 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268818000158
    Simulation models are used widely in pharmacology, epidemiology and health economics (HEs). However, there have been no attempts to incorporate models from these disciplines into a single integrated model. Accordingly, we explored this linkage to evaluate the epidemiological and economic impact of oseltamivir dose optimisation in supporting pandemic influenza planning in the USA. An HE decision analytic model was linked to a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) - dynamic transmission model simulating the impact of pandemic influenza with low virulence and low transmissibility and, high virulence and high transmissibility. The cost-utility analysis was from the payer and societal perspectives, comparing oseltamivir 75 and 150 mg twice daily (BID) to no treatment over a 1-year time horizon. Model parameters were derived from published studies. Outcomes were measured as cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the integrated model's robustness. Under both pandemic scenarios, compared to no treatment, the use of oseltamivir 75 or 150 mg BID led to a significant reduction of influenza episodes and influenza-related deaths, translating to substantial savings of QALYs. Overall drug costs were offset by the reduction of both direct and indirect costs, making these two interventions cost-saving from both perspectives. The results were sensitive to the proportion of inpatient presentation at the emergency visit and patients' quality of life. Integrating PK/PD-EPI/HE models is achievable. Whilst further refinement of this novel linkage model to more closely mimic the reality is needed, the current study has generated useful insights to support influenza pandemic planning.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*
  16. Shirbhate E, Patel P, Patel VK, Veerasamy R, Sharma PC, Sinha BN, et al.
    Mini Rev Med Chem, 2021;21(8):1004-1016.
    PMID: 33280595 DOI: 10.2174/1389557520666201204162103
    The novel coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that emerged from Wuhan, China, and has spread all around the world, affecting 216 countries or territories with 21,732,472 people infected and 770,866 deaths globally (as per WHO COVID-19 updates of August 18, 2020). Continuous efforts are being made to repurpose the existing drugs and develop vaccines for combating this infection. Despite, to date, no certified antiviral treatment or vaccine exists. Although, few candidates have displayed their efficacy in in vitro studies and are being repurposed for COVID- 19 treatment. This article summarizes synthetic and semi-synthetic compounds displaying potent activity in clinical uses or studies on COVID-19 and also focuses on the mode of action of drugs being repositioned against COVID-19.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*
  17. Baharuddin A, Hassan AA, Sheng GC, Nasir SB, Othman S, Yusof R, et al.
    Curr Pharm Des, 2014;20(21):3428-44.
    PMID: 24001228
    Viruses belonging to the Flaviviridae family primarily spread through arthropod vectors, and are the major causes of illness and death around the globe. The Flaviviridae family consists of 3 genera which include the Flavivirus genus (type species, yellow fever virus) as the largest genus, the Hepacivirus (type species, hepatitis C virus) and the Pestivirus (type species, bovine virus diarrhea). The flaviviruses (Flavivirus genus) are small RNA viruses transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks that take over host cell machinery in order to propagate. However, hepaciviruses and pestiviruses are not antropod-borne. Despite the extensive research and public health concern associated with flavivirus diseases, to date, there is no specific treatment available for any flavivirus infections, though commercially available vaccines for yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and tick-born encephalitis exist. Due to the global threat of viral pandemics, there is an urgent need for new drugs. In many countries, patients with severe cases of flavivirus infections are treated only by supportive care, which includes intravenous fluids, hospitalization, respiratory support, and prevention of secondary infections. This review discusses the strategies used towards the discovery of antiviral drugs, focusing on rational drug design against Dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Yellow Fever virus (YFV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Only modified peptidic, nonpeptidic, natural compounds and fragment-based inhibitors (typically of mass less than 300 Da) against structural and non-structural proteins are discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  18. Rajangam J, Lakshmanan AP, Rao KU, Jayashree D, Radhakrishnan R, Roshitha B, et al.
    CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets, 2024;23(2):203-214.
    PMID: 36959147 DOI: 10.2174/1871527322666230321120618
    Bell palsy is a non-progressive neurological condition characterized by the acute onset of ipsilateral seventh cranial nerve paralysis. People who suffer from this type of facial paralysis develop a droop on one side of their face, or sometimes both. This condition is distinguished by a sudden onset of facial paralysis accompanied by clinical features such as mild fever, postauricular pain, dysgeusia, hyperacusis, facial changes, and drooling or dry eyes. Epidemiological evidence suggests that 15 to 23 people per 100,000 are affected each year, with a recurrence rate of 12%. It could be caused by ischaemic compression of the seventh cranial nerve, which could be caused by viral inflammation. Pregnant women, people with diabetes, and people with respiratory infections are more likely to have facial paralysis than the general population. Immune, viral, and ischemic pathways are all thought to play a role in the development of Bell paralysis, but the exact cause is unknown. However, there is evidence that Bell's hereditary proclivity to cause paralysis is a public health issue that has a greater impact on patients and their families. Delay or untreated Bell paralysis may contribute to an increased risk of facial impairment, as well as a negative impact on the patient's quality of life. For management, antiviral agents such as acyclovir and valacyclovir, and steroid treatment are recommended. Thus, early diagnosis accompanied by treatment of the uncertain etiology of the disorder is crucial. This paper reviews mechanistic approaches, and emerging medical perspectives on recent developments that encounter Bell palsy disorder.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  19. Essa RZ, Wu YS, Batumalaie K, Sekar M, Poh CL
    Pharmacol Rep, 2022 Dec;74(6):1166-1181.
    PMID: 36401119 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-022-00432-6
    The global pandemic of COVID-19 is a serious public health concern. Over 625 million confirmed cases and more than 6 million deaths have been recorded worldwide. Although several vaccines and antiviral medications have been developed, their efficacy is limited by the emerging new SARS-CoV-2 strains. Peptide-based therapeutics is a fast-growing class of new drugs and have unique advantages over large proteins and small molecules. Antiviral peptides (AVPs) are short polycationic antivirals with broad-spectrum effects, which have been shown to exert both prophylactic and therapeutic actions against reported coronaviruses. The potential therapeutic targets of AVPs are located either on the virus (e.g., E-protein and S-protein) to prohibit viral binding or host cells, particularly, those present on the cell surface (e.g., ACE2 and TMPRSS2). Despite AVPs having promising antiviral effects, their efficacy is limited by low bioavailability. Thus, nanoformulation is a prerequisite for prolonged bioavailability and efficient delivery. This review aimed to present an insight into the therapeutic AVP targets on both virus and host cells by discussing their antiviral activities and associated molecular mechanisms. Besides, it described the technique for discovering and developing possible AVPs based on their targets, as well as the significance of using nanotechnology for their efficient delivery against SARS-CoV-2.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
  20. Lee MF, Wu YS, Poh CL
    Viruses, 2023 Mar 08;15(3).
    PMID: 36992414 DOI: 10.3390/v15030705
    Dengue is a major global health threat causing 390 million dengue infections and 25,000 deaths annually. The lack of efficacy of the licensed Dengvaxia vaccine and the absence of a clinically approved antiviral against dengue virus (DENV) drive the urgent demand for the development of novel anti-DENV therapeutics. Various antiviral agents have been developed and investigated for their anti-DENV activities. This review discusses the mechanisms of action employed by various antiviral agents against DENV. The development of host-directed antivirals targeting host receptors and direct-acting antivirals targeting DENV structural and non-structural proteins are reviewed. In addition, the development of antivirals that target different stages during post-infection such as viral replication, viral maturation, and viral assembly are reviewed. Antiviral agents designed based on these molecular mechanisms of action could lead to the discovery and development of novel anti-DENV therapeutics for the treatment of dengue infections. Evaluations of combinations of antiviral drugs with different mechanisms of action could also lead to the development of synergistic drug combinations for the treatment of dengue at any stage of the infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
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