Common drugs used from December 2019 to March 2022 for COVID-19 disease
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Nazanin Moghaddam,1,*
1. Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Clinical Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Introduction: In December 2019, a group of pneumonia caused by an emerging coronavirus (2019-nCoV) appeared in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Initially, it was called the coronavirus, but due to differences with other families in the group, it was renamed the emerging corona, but today it is called COVID-19. The first case of the disease was reported in Wuhan, China, which was initially linked to an unauthorized market for the sale of animal feed but was later denied. The genomes of various animals were then examined, and some anteaters and bats were suspected, but the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has not yet officially stated what the primary source of the virus was. Coronaviruses(CoV)belong to the coronaviridae family and are classified as nidovirals. Coronavirus is divided into four genes: alpha, beta, gamma and epsilon. Alpha and beta coronaviruses are found only in infected mammals, while gamma and epsilon are the primary source of infected birds with a small number of infected mammals. Human coronaviruses include alpha coronaviruses (229E and NL63), beta coronaviruses (OC43 and HKU1), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronaviruses (MERS-CoV), Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronaviruses (SARS-CoV) and2019-nCoV. 2019-nCoV belongs to the genus Beta coronaviruses. Current studies have shown that 2019-nCoV is derived from wild animals, but its exact origin has not yet been determined. It will be possible with accurate sequencing of the virus gene after the end of the current pandemic. General treatment strategies include rest and supportive care. Getting enough calories and water, keeping your body hydrated and homeostasis, monitoring vital signs, oxygen saturation; Respiratory and oxygen inhalation are required; Blood and urea levels, C-reactive protein and other biochemical indicators of blood, including liver, kidney, myocardial enzyme function are critical to the patient's condition. The use of antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs for other diseases is essential.
- Methods: The PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were searched to find studies, and 14 articles were studied.
- Results: Because there was no drug or vaccine to treat COVID-19 at the beginning of the disease pandemic, various clinical trials on some anti-viral drugs for other diseases and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis were important in improving hospitalized cases of 2019-nCoV in hospitals and preventing further deaths from the disease. Research has shown that drugs can inhibit clarinet-induced endocytosis, thereby inhibiting viral infection of cells. Baricitinib acts as a high-affinity NAK inhibitor for AAK1, centrally regulating clarinet-mediated endocytosis. This drug could be useful against SARS-CoV-2 infections due to appropriate clinical trials. Baricitinib, Fedratinib, Ruxolitinib are potent and selective JAK inhibitors approved for infections such as rheumatoid arthritis and myelofibrosis that were used at the onset of the disease. Interferon-alpha is used as a broad-spectrum anti-viral drug to treat HBV, and its effectiveness has been investigated. Lopinavir / Ritonavir was used to treat adult patients with 2019-nCoV. Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Still, initial research in human and primate cells has shown that these drugs can effectively treat COVID-19. Various anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, anti-parasitic (ivermectin), etc., were used in patients admitted with COVID-19 in the early years of the disease.
- Conclusion: At the beginning of the epidemic, there was no specific drug or vaccine for 2019-nCoV. All drugs were based on SARS, MERS, previous flu treatments, rheumatoid arthritis and HIV treatments, and immunosuppressive drugs. Numerous clinical trials have been performed on high-efficacy drugs until an approved drug with higher efficacy was found to treat COVID-19. Baricitinib is the effective combination of the anti-HIV lopinavir with ritonavir, Remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin, and immunosuppressive drugs, the effectiveness of which has been briefly confirmed in research.
- Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Treatment
