The COVID-19 pandemic needs no introduction at present. Only a few treatments are available for this disease, including remdesivir and favipiravir. Accordingly, the pharmaceutical industry is striving to develop new treatments for COVID-19. Molnupiravir, an orally active RdRp inhibitor, is in a phase 3 clinical trial against COVID-19. The objective of this review article is to enlighten the researchers working on COVID-19 about the discovery, recent developments, and patents related to molnupiravir. Molnupiravir was originally developed for the treatment of influenza at Emory University, USA. However, this drug has also demonstrated activity against a variety of viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Now it is being jointly developed by Emory University, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, and Merck to treat COVID-19. The published clinical data indicate a good safety profile, tolerability, and oral bioavailability of molnupiravir in humans. The patient-compliant oral dosage form of molnupiravir may hit the market in the first or second quarter of 2022. The patent data of molnupiravir revealed its granted compound patent and process-related patent applications. We also anticipate patent filing related to oral dosage forms, inhalers, and a combination of molnupiravir with marketed drugs like remdesivir, favipiravir, and baricitinib. The current pandemic demands a patient compliant, safe, tolerable, and orally effective COVID-19 treatment. The authors believe that molnupiravir meets these requirements and is a breakthrough COVID-19 treatment.

Excessive production of reactive oxygen species is an important mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of diabetes associated macrovascular and microvascular complications including diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by glomerular enlargement, early albuminuria and progressive glomerulosclerosis. The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy is multi-factorial and the precise mechanisms are unclear. Hyperglycemia-mediated dysregulation of various pathways either enhances the intensity of oxidative stress or these pathways are affected by oxidative stress. Thus, oxidative stress has been considered as a central mediator in progression of nephropathy in patients with diabetes. In this review, we have focused on current perspectives in oxidative stress signaling to determine common biological processes whereby diabetes-induced oxidative stress plays a central role in progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy is a major cause of end-stage renal failure and the mortality rate due to this disease is continuously progressing worldwide. The multifaceted signalling mechanisms have been identified to be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Despite the modern therapies like antidiabetics, antihypertensives, and antioxidants available to treat diabetic nephropathy; most of patients continue to show progressive renal damage. It suggests that the key pathogenic mechanism involved in the induction and progression of diabetic nephropathy is still remaining active and unmodified by the present therapies. The purpose of this review is to bring together the current information concerning the signalling systems involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.