Xanthine oxidase inhibition in SARS-CoV-2 infection: the mechanism and potency of allopurinol and febuxostat in COVID-19 management

Medical Journal of Indonesia
Vol. 30 No. 1 (2021): March

The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection cases has been increasing globally, including in Indonesia. Definitive therapy for COVID-19 has not yet been found; hence, repurposed drugs for COVID-19 have been considered and have been practiced by several researchers in the world. This literature review investigates the action of xanthine oxidase as a component of the biomolecular pathway against severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2, the cause of COVID-19, and describes the mechanism and potential of uric acid drugs (allopurinol and febuxostat) as prophylaxis and curative therapy for COVID-19.