Primed for global coronavirus pandemic: Emerging research and clinical outcome

Abstract

The global effort to combat and contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is now proceeding on a war footing. The world was slow to react to the developing crisis, but once the contours of the impending calamity became evident, the different state and non-state actors have raced to put their act together. The COVID-19 outbreak has blatantly exposed the shortcomings of our healthcare system and the limitations of medical science, despite considerable advances in recent years. To effectively tackle the current epidemic, almost unprecedented in the modern era, there is an urgent need for a concerted, sustained, and coordinated effort towards the development of new diagnostics, therapeutic and vaccines, and the ramping up of the healthcare infrastructure, especially in the poorer, underprivileged nations. Towards this end, researchers around the world are working tirelessly to develop new diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics. Efforts to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 are presently underway in several countries around the world, but a new vaccine is expected only by the end of the year-at the earliest. New drug development against COVID-19 and its approval may take even longer. Under such circumstances, drug repurposing has emerged as a realistic and effective strategy to counter the virus menace in the short run, and several antiviral and antimalarial medicines are currently in different stages of clinical trials. Researchers are also experimenting with nutrients, vitamins, monoclonal antibodies, and convalescent plasma as immunity boosters against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). This report presents a critical analysis of the global clinical trial landscape for COVID-19 with an emphasis on the therapeutic agents and vaccines currently being tested at pandemic speed.

The race to treat COVID-19: Potential therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2

“…However, the lack of in vitro and in vivo results of the potential molecules and the poor safety, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetic profiles of the compounds in the preclinical trials make the situation more challenging. At present, the vaccine, monoclonal antibodies, convalescent sera from SARS-CoV-2 survivors, repurposing drugs, and small molecules inhibitor are encouraging approaches to develop effective COVID-19 treatment [ 164 ].…”

Repurposing Drugs During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

“…In August 2020, few more new candidates had been identified for repurposing to treat COVID-19 [ 6 ]. Recent literature lists more than 100 small molecules and several other drugs, biological and vaccines being repurposed for treating COVID-19 and undergoing clinical trials [ 7 ].…”

Brilacidin Demonstrates Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in Cell Culture

“…To date, only two vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, alongside few modestly effective therapies to treat COVID-19, with remdesivir the only FDA-approved treatment [ 9 ]. Therapies are predominately being developed to treat acute viral infections in hospital settings versus being evaluated for their prophylactic potential [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. It is likely multiple interventional strategies will be required to prevent and treat COVID-19 [ 13 , 14 ], particularly given the emergence of drug- and vaccine-resistant variants, with SARS-CoV-2 possibly becoming an endemic viral infection [ 15 ].…”