Repurposed drugs for treatment against COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a dreaded disease because of its high transmissibility through direct contact or by droplets. Reducing the transmission and saving the human lives by curtailing the death rate are the major concerns in the prevailing situation. To face this immediate global challenge, there is an unmet demand for effective remedial measures. The development of novel antiviral drugs by traditional or de novo approach is expensive and time-consuming, which is not suitable in the current scenario. Drug repurposing employs the combined efforts of in silico computational approaches as well as activity-based or experimental results. Therefore, to control the transmission of virus and loss of human lives, some FDA-approved drugs have been redeployed in order to provide fast relief. This article summarizes major FDA-approved drugs which have been either repurposed or have the potential of being repurposed in combination or stand alone to combat COVID-19.