Repositioning and investigational drugs for Zika virus infection treatment: a patent review

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Zika virus (ZIKV) is transmitted to humans throughout bites of Aedes mosquitoes. ZIKV infection may be asymptomatic in most cases, but it may cause fever, headache, muscle pain, and rash. Guillain-Barré syndrome also may be associated with the infection. Furthermore, the Pan American Health Organization informed 3,715 cases of the congenital ZIKV syndrome (CZS) in the Americas from 2015 – 2017, which may include microcephaly and other craniofacial deformities.

Areas covered

This review identifies patent documents on repositioning for ZIKV infection treatment of already approved drugs or phases II/III investigated drugs for other diseases. Thirty-six patents were found reporting compounds with anti-ZIKV activity with application dates ranging from 2015 to 2019.

Expert opinion

The main drugs claimed in patents were ribavirin, sofosbuvir, and alpha interferons. Preventing CZS is one of the most significant challenges in ZIKV infection. Therefore, repositioning sofosbuvir and niclosamide, that pose no danger for pregnant women, is a particular issue to be considered for clinical tests involving ZIKV disease. Given the substantial costs and developing time of new a drug, repositioning of old drugs is becoming an attractive alternative for diseases with neglected treatments.

KEYWORDS:

• Drug repositioning
• Zika virus
• patent
• ribavirin
• sofosbuvir
• interferons
• niclosamide

Article highlights

• To date, there are no drugs approved for ZIKV infection treatment nor even registered in clinical studies.

• A total of 36 patent documents were found reporting compounds with anti-ZIKV activity with application dates ranging from 2015 to 2019.

• More than 30 drugs are already approved by regulatory agencies or under investigation in phases II/III of clinical trials to other diseases.

• The main drugs claimed were ribavirin, sofosbuvir, and alpha interferons. Likewise, the lopinavir-ritonavir combination and niclosamide were described as ZIKV inhibitors. These are suitable candidates, with moderate to strong potencies against ZIKV, for future repurposing clinical studies.

• Repositioning sofosbuvir and niclosamide, drugs that pose no danger to pregnant women, is a particular issue to be considered for clinical tests involving ZIKV disease.

Author contributions

Conception and design: Sandro G. Viveiros Rosa. All authors contributed with the writing, analysis, critical review of intellectual content, and data interpretation. All authors reviewed and approved the final version.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.