Highlights • The recent COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 viral infection, has created a disastrous situation worldwide. • SARS-CoV-2 has spread globally to over 190 countries, and mortality due to COVID-19 is increasing daily. • No treatments or vaccine are currently available to treat SARS-CoV-2, and they will require 6–12 months minimum to develop. • Thus, drug repurposing is a possible way to save millions of lives. • Further investigations of possible drugs to treat COVID-19 are recommended as a top priority. Despite advances in drug discovery, viral infections remain a major challenge for scientists across the globe. The recent pandemic of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), caused by a viral infection with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), has created a disastrous situation all over the world. As no drugs are available to treat this life-threatening disease and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 is high, there is an utmost need to attempt to treat the infection using drug repurposing. Some countries are against the use of these drugs because of adverse effects associated with drug repurposing and lack of statistically significant clinical data, but they have been found to be effective in some countries to treat COVID-19 patients (off-label/investigational). This article emphasises possible drug candidates in the treatment of COVID-19. Most of these drugs were found to be effective in in vitro studies. There is a need to re-assess in vitro data and to carry out randomised clinical trials. Further investigations of these drugs are recommended on a priority basis.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Drug repurposing, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, SARS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, MERS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, CoV, coronavirus,