Table 1.
Emerging investigational therapeutic trials to treat SARS-CoV-2 patients
| Drugs | Company | MoA | Comment/status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remdesivir | Gilead Sciences, Inc. | Viral transcription inhibitor |
Originally developed for Ebola and MERS Remdesivir found ambiguous against SARS-CoV-2 |
| Chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin combination | Novartis pharmaceuticals, Mylan NV, Teva Pharma-ceuticals USA | Decrease acidity in endosomes |
Developed for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis SARS-CoV-2 patients showed substantial improvements after treatment WHO suspended the trial of hydroxychloroquine over safety concerns |
| Lopinavir-ritonavir, Kaletra | Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Inc. | Protease inhibitor |
Anti-HIV treatment Initial clinical data indicates, no change in time to clinical improvement of SARS-CoV-2 patients |
| Lopinavir-ritonavir plus IFN-β | The University of Hong Kong | Protease inhibitor plus anti-inflammatory |
IFN-β used in regulating inflammation in lessened disease No clinical efficacy data yet, but some doctors feels, it might be risky for patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 patients |
| Favipiravir/Avigan | Fujifilm Toyama Clinical | Viral transcription inhibitor |
Next generation flu drug Drug accelerate the viral clearance and improve the lung conditions |
| Hydroxychloroquine and Nitazoxanide Combination | Tanta University | Blocks maturation of the viral hemagglutinin |
Nitazoxanide has broad-spectrum activity against helminthic, protozoal, and viruses Clinical trial not yet started |
| Nafamostat and camostat | Susanne Arnold, University of Kentucky, University Hospital Padova | Antagonist TMPRSS2, Block the entry of SARS-CoV-2 |
Nafamostat and camostat are approved in Japan for use against pancreatitis Drugs are currently in phase 2/3 clinical trial in different countries |
| Hydroxychloroquine and Famotidine | Northwell Health, NY, USA | Inhibit the entry of SARS-CoV-2 | Drugs are currently in phase 3 clinical trial in USA |
| Ruxolitinib | Novartis Pharmaceuticals | Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor |
Ruxolitinib was developed for high-risk myelofibrosis No efficacy data available against SARS-CoV-2 |
| Sarilumab and Tocilizumab | Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris | Antibodies to inhibit IL-6 |
Sarilumab originally developed for rheumatoid arthritis Clinical trial for SARS-CoV-2 not yet started |
| Itolizumab | Biocon Limited | Anti-CD6 IgG monoclonal antibody |
Itolizumab originally developed for chronic plaque psoriasis Clinical trial for SARS-CoV-2 completed and treatment showed substantial improvement in moderate to severe SARS-CoV-2 patients |
| APN-01 | Apeiron biologics | ACE inhibitor |
Originally developed for SARS treatment Clinical trial for SARS-CoV-2 not yet started |
| siRNAs | Alnylam pharmaceuticals and vir biotechnology | Conserved regions of coronavirus RNA. |
siRNAs hit highly conserved regions of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Clinical trial not yet started |
| N-803 | ImmunityBio | Kill the infected cells |
N-803 showed strong positive response in monkeys against HIV Clinical trial not yet started |
| Pirfenidone | Roche | Anti-inflammatory drug, inhibits transforming growth factor-β |
Pirfenidone used for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a lung fibrosis disease Pirfenidone can improve lung functions in SARS-CoV-2 patients No clear clinical efficacy data yet |
| Umifenovir | Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran | Binds to viral lipid membrane and inhibits viral entry |
Approved for influenza A and B virus in Russia and china Umifenovir found ambiguous against mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 |
| Ivermectin | Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins | Destabilize the cell-transport proteins |
Ivermectin is broad-spectrum anti-parasitic drug Administration of Ivermectin in SARS-CoC-2 patients found efficacious Drug is being tested in combination with hydroxy-chloroquine in many countries |
| Corticosteroids | Hospices Civils de Lyon, France | Anti-inflammatory | Corticosteroids are being tested in SARS-CoV-2 patients |