A novel virtual screening procedure identifies Pralatrexate as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and it reduces viral replication in vitro

Zhang, Haiping; Yang, Yang; Li, Junxin; Wang, Min; Saravanan, Konda Mani; Wei, Jinli; Tze-Yang Ng, Justin; Tofazzal Hossain, Md.; Liu, Maoxuan; Zhang, Huiling; Ren, Xiaohu; Pan, Yi; Peng, Yin; Shi, Yi; Wan, Xiaochun; Liu, Yingxia; Wei, Yanjie

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus poses serious threats to the global public health and leads to worldwide crisis. No effective drug or vaccine is readily available. The viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is a promising therapeutic target. A hybrid drug screening procedure was proposed and applied to identify potential drug candidates targeting RdRp from 1906 approved drugs. Among the four selected market available drug candidates, Pralatrexate and Azithromycin were confirmed to effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro with EC(50) values of 0.008μM and 9.453 μM, respectively. For the first time, our study discovered that Pralatrexate is able to potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication with a stronger inhibitory activity than Remdesivir within the same experimental conditions. The paper demonstrates the feasibility of fast and accurate anti-viral drug screening for inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 and provides potential therapeutic agents against COVID-19.