Potential pharmacological agents for COVID-19

Indian J Public Health. 2020 Jun;64(Supplement):S112-S116. doi: 10.4103/ijph.IJPH_456_20.

Abstract

A novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) first emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, has become a global pandemic. Currently, the management of COVID-19 infection is mainly supportive. Several clinical trials worldwide are evaluating several drugs approved for other indications, as well as multiple investigational agents for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Here, we give a brief overview of pharmacological agents and other therapies which are under investigation as treatment options or adjunctive agents for patients infected with COVID-19 and for chemoprophylaxis for the prevention of COVID-19 infection. At the time of writing this commentary, there is no peer-reviewed published evidence from randomized clinical trials of any pharmacological agents improving outcomes in COVID-19 patients. However, it was reported that remdesivir an investigational antiviral agent hastens clinical recovery, but a study is yet to be published in peer-reviewed medical journal.

Keywords: Adjunctive therapy; coronavirus disease 2019; investigational antiviral agents; potential pharmacological agents; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / adverse effects
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Serotherapy
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Coronavirus
  • Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Coronavirus Infections / therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunization, Passive
  • Immunoglobulins / therapeutic use
  • Interleukins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / therapy
  • SARS-CoV-2

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Interleukins