Emerging evidence reveals that COVID-19 antiviral therapies may pose severe cardiovascular risks, urging caution in treating vulnerable patients. Study: Cardiovascular adverse effects of antiviral therapies for COVID-19: Evidence and plausible mechanisms. Image Credit: Corona Borealis Studio / Shutterstock.
com Several antivirals, including remdesivir, Paxlovid, molnupiravir, and monoclonal antibodies like tixagevimab and cilgavimab, have been repurposed to treat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or received emergency use authorization (EUA). Antimalarial and antiparasitic drugs like ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and chloroquine have also been investigated for their potential activity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A recent review published in the journal Acta Pharmacologica Sinica discusses the cardiovascular adverse effects associated with antiviral drugs used to treat COVID-19.
About the virus SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus enclosed in a protein envelope comprising the membrane, spike, and envelope proteins. Viral RNA is stored within the nucleocapsid, comprised of the nucleocapsid protein. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein recognizes and subsequently binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor present on the surface of the host cell.
The S1 subunit of the spike protein consists of an N-terminal domain (NTD) and receptor-binding domain (RBD). RBD-ACE2 binding causes the S2 subunit t.