Table 3.
Drug repurposing for SARS-Cov-2.
| Possible targets | Ongoing therapeutic options and their functions | Ongoing clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Targeting the RdRp | Remdesivir (GS-5734) [115] commonly known as Veklury; broad-spectrum antiviral drug against SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and various other RNA viruses. | NCT04252664, NCT04257656, NCT04252664, NCT04292899, NCT04292730, NCT04302766, NCT04323761, NCT04280705, NCT04321616, NCT04315948, NCT04314817 and NCT04349410 |
| Favipiravir (T-705) [117]; antiviral drug used to treat broad range of RNA viruses. | ChiCTR2000029600, NCT04358549, NCT04346628, NCT04310228, NCT04349241, NCT04336904, NCT04319900, NCT04359615, NCT04333589, NCT04303299, NCT04351295, NCT04356495 and NCT04345419 | |
| Galidesivir (BCX4430) [118]; broad-spectrum antiviral drug. | NCT03891420 | |
| β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine/NHC/EIDD-1931; strong inhibitory effect against MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 [119]. | Data not available | |
| Ribavirin [118]; broad-spectrum antiviral, primarily used for treatment of hepatitis C. | NCT04356677 | |
| Inhibiting the viral protease | Ivermectin [120] (Stromectol/Soolantra cream); drug used to treat parasitic infections. | NCT04343092 |
| Lopinavir-Ritonavir [121]; used for treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. | NCT04252885 and ChiCTR2000029308 | |
| Darunavir and Cobicistat [119, 122]; antiretroviral drug against HIV/AIDS | NCT04252274, NTC04303299 and NCT04366089 | |
| Blocking virus cell entry | Recombinant human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (RhACE2 APN01) [123]. Used for treating cancer and related problems. | NCT04287686 and NCT04335136 |
| Arbidol (Umifenovir) [124]. Used for the treatment of influenza and hepatitis C virus. | NCT04260594, NCT04255017 and IRCT20180725040596N2 | |
| Enhancing the innate immune system | Natural killer cells (NK cells) [125]; play important role in cancer immunotherapy. | NCT04280224 |
| Recombinant interferon [126]; used as an antiviral or antineoplastic drug. | NCT04293887 | |
| Attenuating the inflammatory response | Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) [127]; found to be effective on acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurred by both infectious and noninfectious diseases. | NCT04293692, NCT04269525, NCT04288102 and NCT04302519 |
| Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) [128]; used to treat a number of health conditions. | NCT04261426 | |
| Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) [129]; used for anti-retroviral treatment. | Data not available | |
| Anti-C5a monoclonal antibody [130]; used for treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). | Data not available | |
| Blocking the interleukin (IL)-6 Pathway [131]; IL-6 inhibitors are approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. | NCT04315298 | |
| Thalidomide (Thalomid) [132]; used to treat or prevent Hansen's disease (leprosy). Also used in cancer treatment. | NCT04273529 and NCT04273581 | |
| Methylprednisolone (Medrol) [133]; eases inflammation, used to treat arthritis and cancer. | NCT04273321 and NCT04263402 | |
| Fingolimod (Gilenya) [134]; mostly used for treating multiple sclerosis. | NCT04280588 | |
| Symptomatic control | Bevacizumab (Avastin) [135]; used to treat cancer and eye disease. | NCT04275414 |
| Vaccine | Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA [136]. mRNA-1273, a novel LNP-encapsulated mRNA-based vaccine, encoding full-length, prefusion stabilized spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2. | NCT04283461 |
| DNA vaccine (INO-4800) [137], being tested to prevent COVID-19 infection. | NCT04336410 | |
| AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) [138]; under clinical trials for COVID-19. | NCT04324606 | |
| Nanoparticle-based vaccines [139]; candidate vaccines against various viral infections. | Data not available | |
| Pathogen-specific artificial antigen-presenting cells | Clinical trials are evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs) alone and in combination with antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells [140] | NCT04299724 and NCT04276896 |