Progress in the Research and Development of Anti-COVID-19 Drugs

Lianzhou Huang; Yuanqiu Chen; Ji Xiao; Weisheng Luo; Feng Li; Yuan Wang; Yiliang Wang; Yifei Wang

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.00365

Progress in the Research and Development of Anti-COVID-19 Drugs

Front Public Health. 2020 Jul 7:8:365. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00365. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Lianzhou Huang¹, Yuanqiu Chen¹, Ji Xiao¹, Weisheng Luo¹, Feng Li¹, Yuan Wang¹, Yiliang Wang¹, Yifei Wang¹

Affiliation

¹ Guangzhou Jinan Biomedicine Research and Development Center, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

The outbreaks of COVID-19 due to SARS-CoV-2 has caused serious physical and psychological damage to global human health. COVID-19 spread rapidly around the world in a short time. Confronted with such a highly infectious respiratory disease, the research and development of anti-COVID-19 drugs became an urgent work due to the lack of specific drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. Nevertheless, several existing drugs are available to relieve the clinical symptoms of COVID-19. We reviewed information on selected anti-SARS-CoV-2 candidate therapeutic agents published until June 2, 2020. We also discussed the strategies of the development of anti-COVID-19 drugs in the future. Our review provides a novel insight into the future development of a safer, efficient, and toxic-less anti-COVID-19 drug.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; anti-COVID-19 drugs; chloroquine; glucocorticoid; lopinavir/ritonavir; plasma therapy; remdesivir.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
COVID-19*
Humans
Pharmaceutical Preparations*
Research
SARS-CoV-2

Substances

Antiviral Agents
Pharmaceutical Preparations