review · International Journal of Molecular Sciences
The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread global mortality and public health disruption, prompting rapid scientific efforts to understand viral transmission and design effective treatments. An overview of therapeutic options highlights the timeline, molecular mechanisms, and real-world efficacy of interventions introduced to counter the infection. Early candidates, such as hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir or ritonavir, initially showed promise but ultimately proved ineffective, leading to regulatory withdrawals. Conversely, clinical investigations confirmed the efficacy of several specific therapies, including remdesivir, convalescent plasma, monoclonal antibodies, 6-thioguanine, molnupiravir, and certain hepatitis C protease inhibitors. Looking forward, emerging approaches such as inhaled medications, aptamers, and flavonoids present viable pathways for developing new treatments. Sustained research remains vital to establish specialised, highly potent antiviral drugs to mitigate unavoidable future pandemic threats.
Identifying which antiviral drugs succeed and which fail is essential for responding effectively to global health emergencies. Understanding molecular modes of action helps medical professionals select verified treatments while steering pharmaceutical research away from ineffective repurposed drugs. Furthermore, exploring alternative drug platforms ensures better readiness for unavoidable viral outbreaks in the future.
The findings outline opportunities for pharmaceutical developers and biotechnology firms seeking to design specialised antiviral pipelines. Therapeutic applications range from approved clinical options like monoclonal antibodies and small molecules to early-stage platforms involving aptamers, flavonoids, and inhaled formulations. While several evaluated therapies are already commercially deployed or tested in clinical trials, emerging modalities remain at early research stages requiring further formulation and clinical validation.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new coronavirus in the <i>Coronaviridae</i> family. The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has undoubtedly been the largest crisis of the twenty-first century, resulting in over 6.8 million deaths and 686 million confirmed cases, creating a global public health issue. Hundreds of notable articles have been published since the onset of this pandemic to justify the cause of viral spread, viable preventive measures, and future therapeutic approaches. As a result, this review was developed to provide a summary of the current anti-COVID-19 drugs, as well as their timeline, molecular mode of action, and efficacy. It also sheds light on potential future treatment options. Several medications, notably hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir, were initially claimed to be effective in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 but eventually demonstrated inadequate activity, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew hydroxychloroquine. Clinical trials and investigations, on the other hand, have demonstrated the efficacy of remdesivir, convalescent plasma, and monoclonal antibodies, 6-Thioguanine, hepatitis C protease inhibitors, and molnupiravir. Other therapeutics, including inhaled medicines, flavonoids, and aptamers, could pave the way for the creation of novel anti-COVID-19 therapies. As future pandemics are unavoidable, this article urges immediate action and extensive research efforts to develop potent specialized anti-COVID-19 medications.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020739
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
