Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had grounded the world to a standstill. As the disease continues to rage two years on, it is apparent that effective therapeutics are critical for a successful endemic living with COVID-19. A dearth in suitable antivirals has prompted researchers and healthcare professionals to investigate existing and developmental drugs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although some of these drugs initially appeared to be promising for the treatment of COVID-19, they were ultimately found to be ineffective. In this review, we provide a retrospective analysis on the merits and limitations of some of these drugs that were tested against SARS-CoV-2 as well as those used for adjuvant therapy. While many of these drugs are no longer part of our arsenal for the treatment of COVID-19, important lessons can be learnt. The recent inclusion of molnupiravir and Paxlovid™ as treatment options for COVID-19 represent our best hope to date for endemic living with COVID-19. Our viewpoints on these two drugs and their prospects as current and future antiviral agents will also be provided.
Keywords: Antivirals; Baricitinib (PubChem CID: 44205240); COVID-19; Chloroquine (PubChem CID: 2719); Dexamethasone (PubChem CID: 5743); Drug discovery; Hydroxychloroquine (PubChem CID: 3652); Ivermectin (PubChem CID: 6321424); Lopinavir (PubChem CID: 92727); Molnupiravir (Pubchem CID: 145996610); Nirmatrelvir (PubChem CID: 155903259); Remdesivir (PubChem CID: 121304016); Ritonavir (PubChem CID: 392622); Small molecule therapeutics.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Drug discovery, antivirals, Baricitinib (PubChem CID: 44205240), Chloroquine (PubChem CID: 2719), Dexamethasone (PubChem CID: 5743), Hydroxychloroquine (PubChem CID: 3652), Ivermectin (PubChem CID: 6321424), Lopinavir (PubChem CID: 92727), Molnupiravir (Pubchem CID: 145996610), Nirmatrelvir (PubChem CID: 155903259), Remdesivir (PubChem CID: 121304016), Ritonavir (PubChem CID: 392622), Small molecule therapeutics., 【초록키워드】 Dexamethasone, Ivermectin, Treatment, coronavirus disease, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus disease 2019, Baricitinib, coronavirus, pandemic, therapy, Drug discovery, Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine, Antiviral, molnupiravir, healthcare professionals, Lopinavir, Ritonavir, Remdesivir, drug, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, Antiviral agents, Retrospective analysis, small molecule, antiviral agent, Critical, Nirmatrelvir, Healthcare professional, Endemic, adjuvant therapy, acute respiratory syndrome, treatment of COVID-19, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, PubChem, limitation, while, researcher, Inclusion, effective, standstill, tested, the disease, provided, developmental, with COVID-19,