Combatting SARS-CoV-2: Potential Therapeutic Candidates Against COVID-19

Background: COVID-19, a global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in December 2019 in China and has spread to 210 countries and territories. Since then, it has infected >187.3 million people worldwide, causing >4.0 million deaths, and numbers are continuing to rise. Fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, and pneumonia are the main symptoms of this disease, which does not have any specific antiviral treatment or vaccines to date, and clinical management is mainly symptomatic treatment. Summary: The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 has necessitated the development of novel therapeutic agents against the virus to stop the pandemic. Drugs targeting viral as well as host factors may have a potential antiviral effect. The development of novel drugs may take years; hence, the best alternative available is to repurpose existing antiviral drugs with a known safety profile in humans. Further, compounds with known in vitro and in vivo efficacy against SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus have been included in recent clinical trials and exhibited encouraging results against SARS-CoV-2. Here, the authors provide a summary of therapeutic compounds that have shown antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 infections in cell lines, animal models, and patients. Key Messages: With every passing day, knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 is increasing due to continued efforts of scientists working in this area globally. Approximately 15% of patients with COVID-19 are affected by severe illness and treatments are desperately needed. In this time of global pandemic, collective and co-ordinated efforts are needed to develop therapeutic agents against this disease.