The Current Status and Challenges in the Development of Vaccines and Drugs against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Table 3

Key molecular targets of pharmacological agents tested against SARS-CoV-2.

Drugs	Target	Description
Remdesivir	RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzyme	Used in the treatment of individuals with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 [128, 129]; Inhibit viral RNA synthesis; It did not reduce mortality, the need for mechanical ventilation, or the duration of hospital stay
Tocilizumab	Interleukin-6 (IL-6)	Used in the treatment of severe cytokine release syndrome; In COVID-19 patients, it reduces the use of mechanical ventilation and improves lung function [130, 131]; More clinical validations are required [131]
Hydroxychloroquine	Target the binding of S protein to ACE2 receptor [132]	HCQ did not effectively prevent COVID-19 infections as it could not slow down the disease progression, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, and death
Lopinavir/ritonavir	3CLpro-CoV protease cleaves polyproteins during viral replication and assembly	The combination is used in the treatment of mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 infection by suppressing the viral load [128]; More clinical validations are required
Favipiravir	RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzyme	Inhibits viral RNA synthesis; more clinical validations are required
Triazavirin	RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzyme	Inhibits viral RNA synthesis; more clinical validations are required
Umifenovir	Blocks the viral entry to the host	Showed no effect in reducing viral load in COVID-19 patients
Corticosteroids—dexamethasone	Proinflammatory genes coding cytokines, chemokines, cell adhesion molecules, inflammatory enzymes, and receptors [129, 133]	Recommended for patients with severe COVID-19; reduces lung inflammation, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality [134], but not recommended to the patients comorbid with diabetes due to the chances of mucormycosis (black fungus) growth