A patent review of anti-coronavirus agents targeting the spike-ACE2 interaction (2019–present)

In the 5 years since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, numerous methods and design strategies have been employed to develop innovative therapeutics against coronaviruses. Among these approaches, inhibitors targeting both the ACE2 receptor and the S protein have gained significant interest due to their potential in blocking various coronaviruses. Despite facing challenges similar to other protein-protein interaction inhibitors, progress has been made in developing these inhibitors through virtual screening, covalent protein binding, and peptide modification strategies. However, obstacles persist in clinical translation, necessitating a multidisciplinary strategy that integrates state-of-the-art methodologies to optimize S-ACE2 interface-targeted drug discovery.