Online Resource and Tools for the Development of Drugs Against Novel Coronavirus

Kumar, S.

The novel Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. COVID-19, a disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to spread worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is of the Orthocoronavirinae sub-family, which shares genome sequence similarity with two other highly pathogenic members of the group, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). All three members are thought to have emerged from zoonotic events that have triggered global outbreaks over the last two decades. There is currently no cure, vaccine, or standard treatment protocol for COVID-19. The global pandemic of COVID-19 has had serious consequences with such an alarming rate of morbidity and mortality. Computer-aided drug design (CADD) could help quickly repurpose drugs that have been approved by the FDA and also to identify new antiviral compounds. The CADD can significantly reduce costs and enhance the drug development process by narrowing down potential drug compounds. This chapter comprehends resources and tools available for drug development against the novel coronavirus.