Discovering drugs to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Drug Discov Ther. 2020;14(1):58-60. doi: 10.5582/ddt.2020.01012.

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged in December 2019 and then spread rapidly worldwide, particularly to China, Japan, and South Korea. Scientists are endeavoring to find antivirals specific to the virus. Several drugs such as chloroquine, arbidol, remdesivir, and favipiravir are currently undergoing clinical studies to test their efficacy and safety in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China; some promising results have been achieved thus far. This article summarizes agents with potential efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: 2019-nCoV; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; novel coronavirus; pneumonia.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Monophosphate / analogs & derivatives
  • Alanine / analogs & derivatives
  • Alanine / pharmacology
  • Amides / pharmacology
  • Antiviral Agents / chemistry
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • Betacoronavirus* / drug effects
  • Betacoronavirus* / physiology
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • Chloroquine / pharmacology
  • Clinical Studies as Topic
  • Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology*
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Humans
  • Indoles / pharmacology
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral
  • Pyrazines / pharmacology
  • Ribonucleotides / pharmacology
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Virus Replication / drug effects

Substances

  • Amides
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Indoles
  • Pyrazines
  • Ribonucleotides
  • remdesivir
  • Adenosine Monophosphate
  • Chloroquine
  • umifenovir
  • favipiravir
  • Alanine