The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), transmitted person‐to‐person by severe acute respiratory syndrome of coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), poses a threat to global public health. To present, these are still no clinically approved antibodies or drugs specific for SARS‐CoV‐2, which makes it difficult for controlling the associated pandemic, limited to monitoring and containment. This situation generates a new need for the development of safe and effective treatments. Since SARS‐CoV‐2 shares phylogenetic traits with SARS‐CoV and MERS‐CoV, antiviral medicines may provide some insight into the development of COVID‐19 therapeutics. Besides that, they are being prioritized several FDA‐approved drugs due to the pandemic state. Despite recent advances in the control of the current COVID‐19 pandemic, challenges such as the rapid virus spread and the socioeconomic cost of this outbreak remain for the inexistence of therapeutics agents against SARS‐CoV‐2. From this moment, the in vivo evaluation of FDA‐approved drugs, which until then appears to be effective are recommended, such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, favipiravir, nitazoxanide, and ivermectin; besides new targets: Mpro, spike glycoprotein, and TMPRSS2 inhibitors. Therefore, these investigations are needed to prove the efficacy and safety of these potential candidates, including their side effects.

Structural representation and graphic panel showing the most relevant residues that contribute to the ZIKV NS2B–NS3–ligand complexes.

Abstract The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) poses a threat to global health owing to its high rate of spread and severe forms of respiratory infection. The lack of vaccines and antivirals prevents clinical strategies against the disease, creating an emerging need for the development of safe and effective treatments. Strategies for vaccine development include complete vaccines against viruses, subunits, and nucleic acids, but are still in their early stages. Studies carried out to date on possible SARS-CoV2 drug targets highlight glycoprotein S, Mpro (main protease or protease type 3C), and a member of the transmembrane serine protease II families (TMPRSS2). However, due to the pandemic state, priority is given to marketed drugs. These include chloroquine (CQ), hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), nitazoxanide, remdesivir, Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV / r), in addition to treatment with convalescent plasma. But, therapeutic specific effects against SARS-CoV2 have not yet been verified. Most of the information obtained about treatment is based on preliminary and limited studies. We conclude that, at this time of emergency, the search for new therapies is more urgent due to the need to save lives. Thus, we point out as interesting targets for future more specific research: glycoprotein S, Mpro, and TMPRSS2.

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