Table 2.

Drugs under trial for use against COVID‐19

Drug	Mechanism of action	Dosage	Active against	Clinical trials	Outcomes in clinical trials
1. Favipiravir	RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor	600 mg BID	Influenza	Clinical trials to severe COVID‐19	Symptomatic improvement in mild and moderate cases
2. Hydroxychloroquine	Viral entry inhibitor	Day 1 400 mg BID, followed by 200 mg BID for 5–10 days. Alternative: 200 mg TID for 10 days or 400 mg QD for 5 days	Malaria	Several clinical trials have been conducted	Less toxic option, impairs viral replication
3. Pirfenidone	Inhibits apoptosis	2403 mg orally or through a nasogastric tube as 801 mg TID, for 4 weeks	Pulmonary fibrosis	Clinical trials against severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2)	Decreases inflammation and ameliorates oxidative stress; also protects pneumocytes
4. Remdesivir	RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor	10‐day administration. Day 1: 200 mg QD loading dose, followed by 100 mg QD	Ebola virus, respiratory syncytial virus	Clinical case and clinical trials against SARS‐CoV‐2	Food and Drug Administration‐approved use of remdesivir in patients aged 12 years and older.
5. Lopinavir	3C‐like (3CL) protease inhibitor	BID for up to 14 days	HIV infections	Clinical trial against SARS‐COV‐2	Did not provide antiviral effects or improved clinical outcomes in patients with severe disease, but in early infections, clinical outcomes were improved
6. Camostat	Serine protease inhibitor	400 mg on Day 1, followed by 200 mg on Days 2–5	Pancreatitis	Clinical trials against SARS‐CoV‐2	Primes the spike protein of the human coronavirus and facilitates cell entry and infection
7. Chloroquine	Viral entry inhibitor	500 mg orally QD or BID for 5–10 days	Malaria	Several clinical trials have been conducted	Impairs viral replication and has anti‐inflammatory activities
8. Baricitinib	Inhibits Janus kinase	4 mg/day (check)	Rheumatoid arthritis	Clinical trials against SARS‐CoV‐2	Improves lymphocyte count and prevents entry of the virus
9. Molnupiravir	Inhibits mutation	200–400 mg orally every 12 h for 5 days	Influenza	Clinical trials in efficiency against SARS‐CoV‐2	Decreases damage caused to the lungs
10. Ribavirin	Inhibits viral RNA synthesis	Oral, 400 mg TID (>50 ml/min), 400 mg BID (50–30 ml/min), 200 mg daily (<30 ml/min) × 10 days	Hepatitis C	Clinical trials against SARS‐CoV‐2	Resulted in resolution of fever and lung opacities within 2 weeks
11. Gemicitabine	Inhibits DNA synthesis	1000 mg/m2, administered by a 30‐min infusion	Cancer	Clinical trials against SARS‐CoV‐2	Result to be reported
12. Fluvoxamine	Alleviates ER stress via induction of the sigma‐1 receptor	100 mg twice daily for 10 days	Obsessive–compulsive disorders	Clinical trials against SARS‐CoV‐2	Prevent progression of the coronavirus
13. Rupintravir	Inhibits 3CL protease inhibitor	On trial	Human‐rhinovirus	Clinical trials against SARS‐CoV‐2	Result to be reported