Table 1.
Common and potent antiviral drugs
| Status | Drugs | Action mode | Anti-infective mechanism | Target diseases | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved | Lopinavir/Ritonavir | Protease inhibitors | Inhibiting HIV-1 protease for protein cleavage, resulting in non-infectious, immature viral particles | HIV/AIDS, SARS, MERS | [83–85] |
| Approved, Investigational, Vet approved | Chloroquine | 9-aminoquinolin | Increasing endosomal pH, immunomodulating, autophagy inhibitors | Malaria, autoimmune disease | [79–82] |
| Experimental | Remdesivir (GS-5734) | Nucleotide analogue prodrug | Interfering with virus post-entry |
Ebola, SARS, MERS (A wide array of RNA viruses) |
[76, 88, 89] |
| Investigational | Nafamostat | Synthetic serine protease inhibitor | Prevents membrane fusion by reducing the release of cathepsin B; anticoagulant activities | Influenza, MERS, Ebola | [90, 91] |
| Approved | Ribavirin | Synthetic guanosine nucleoside | Interfering with the synthesis of viral mRNA (a broad-spectrum activity against several RNA and DNA viruses) | HCV, SARS, MERS | [92–94] |
| Approved | Oseltamivir | Neuraminidase inhibitor | Inhibiting the activity of the viral neuraminidase enzyme, preventing budding from the host cell, viral replication, and infectivity | Influenza viruses A | [95, 96] |
| Approved | Penciclovir/ Acyclovir | Nucleoside analog | A synthetic acyclic guanine derivative, resulting in chain termination | HSV, VZV | [97] |
| Approved, Investigational | Ganciclovir | Nucleoside analog | Potent inhibitor of the Herpesvirus family including cytomegalovirus | AIDS-associated cytomegalovirus infections | [98] |
| Investigational | Favipiravir (T-705) | Nucleoside analog: Viral RNA polymerase inhibitor | Acting on viral genetic copying to prevent its reproduction, without affecting host cellular RNA or DNA synthesis | Ebola, influenza A(H1N1) | [99–101] |
| Approved, Investigational, Vet approved | Nitazoxanide | Antiprotozoal agent | Modulating the survival, growth, and proliferation of a range of extracellular and intracellular protozoa, helminths, anaerobic and microaerophilic bacteria, viruses | A wide range of viruses including human/animal coronaviruses | [102–104] |
HIV Human immunodeficiency virus, AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, SARS Severe acute respiratory syndrome, MERS Middle East respiratory syndrome, HCV Hepatitis C virus, HSV Herpes simplex virus, VZV Varicella-zoster virus