COVID-19: How effective are the repurposed drugs and novel agents in treating the infection?

• Main Authors: Suet-May, Chow, Sin-Yee, Kuok, Jia-Qing, Lee, Pey-Wen, Goh, Ranjit Singh, Harleen Kaur A.P., Zhi-Zheng, Timothy Tan, Foo, Jhi-Biau, Hamzah, Sharina, Sellappans, Renukha, Yow, Hui-Yin
• Format: Article
• Published: Knowledge E 2022
• Subjects: RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RS Pharmacy and materia medica
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/44121/; https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85162176093&doi=10.18502%2fsjms.v17i4.12550&partnerID=40&md5=81019a2d48e44ca104b56215cbb772e4

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has impacted the lives and wellbeing of many people. This globally widespread disease poses a significant public health concern that urges to discover an effective treatment. This review paper discusses the effectiveness of repurposed drugs used to treat COVID-19 and potential novel therapies for COVID-19. Among the various repurposed drugs, remdesivir is the only agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat COVID-19. On the other hand, several drugs have been listed in the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the FDA to treat COVID-19, including casirivimab and imdevimab, baricitinib (in combination with remdesivir), bamlanivimab, tocilizumab, and IL-6 inhibitors. In addition, in vitro and clinical studies have suggested cepharanthine, sotrovimab, and XAV-19 as potential treatments to manage COVID-19. Due to inadequate understanding of COVID-19 and the rapid mutation of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 remains a threat to global public health, with vaccination considered the most effective method to decrease COVID-19 transmission currently. Nevertheless, with the intense efforts of clinical researchers globally, more promising treatments for COVID-19 will be established in the future. © 2022, Knowledge E. All rights reserved.