Repurposing Antidiabetic Drugs against Respiratory Syncytial Viral Infection: A Docking Study

Respiratory Syncytial Viral Infection is one of the most common viral infections in the respiratory airways and is more common in infants, younger children and some adults. Although ribavirin has been used in the management of RSV infection, many effective drugs are still under development. Also, structured based drug design using computational tools has shifted the paradigm of drug design and discovery. The fusion core of the Respiratory Syncytial Viral (RSV) structure is crucial for its fusion, entry and replication in the host cell. Herein, we investigated the interruption of the formation and/or the stability of the fusion core. 15 ligands were screened and 4 (Glimepiride, Glipizide, Canagloflozin, Glibenclamide) of them are potential drug candidate for experimental validation, preclinical trials, clinical trials and route of administration optimization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time of reporting lead molecules against RSV from oral hypoglycemic agents. It also suggests the ligands for consideration as prophylactics in infants and adults via the inhalation route.