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SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 600 million people worldwide over the last 2.5 years. So far, there efficacy of many antiviral drugs against COVID-19 has been evaluated only in small studies conducted in different countries. Objective. To assess the efficacy of umifenovir in patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods. We performed systematic search of publications in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Sixteen studies with a total of 1,843 patients were included in the analysis. The following endpoints were evaluated: frequencies of negative PCR test on days 7 and 14;mortality in patients with mild, moderate, and severe disease;and frequency of fever resolution on day 7. Results. We found that patients receiving umifenovir demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of negative PCR test on day 7 than patients who received no causal therapy or other antiviral drugs (odds ratio (OR) 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09-2.62, p = 0.02, I2 = 13%). This difference was even more significant among patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.24-3.32, p = 0.005, I2 = 0%), as well as on day 14 (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.35-3.94, p = 0.0007, I2 = 50%). We also observed a reduced risk of death in the studies that included only patients with mild and moderate disease (JR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33-0.83, p = 0.006, I2 = 0). Umifenovir therapy did not affect the frequency of fever resolution by day 7 (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.49-1.56, p = 0.64, I2 = 0%). Conclusion. Umifenovir significantly accelerated virus elimination by days 7 and 14 among patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Umifenovir also reduced the risk of death compared to other antiviral drugs.Copyright © 2022, Dynasty Publishing House. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Spike protein is a receptor protein that has e role in the entry step of SARS-CoV2. This protein will bind to the ACE2 receptor in the human body and activate TMPRSS2. Inhibition of this protein will prevent the binding of the virus to host cells to spread the infection. This study aims to identify the activity of bioactive compounds of Merremia mammosa (Lour) tuber obtained from LC-MS/MS QTOF analysis of a previous study against the Spike protein of SARS-CoV2 using molecular docking and ADMET analysis. Molecular docking was conducted using SARS-CoV2 spike protein (PDB id. 6M0J) using Maestro Schrodinger software. Results showed that from 206 compounds there are 8 compounds of Merremia mammosa (Lour) that have lower predictive binding energies than standard drugs arbidol, hydroxychloroquine, and chloroquine. Result(s): 206 compounds of Merremia mammosa (Lour) tuber were successfully docked, there were 8 compounds that have docking scores more negative than standard drugs. It indicates that 8 compounds are more active than the positive controls. ADMET study revealed all of those potential ligands had the possibility to be developed as drugs. Conclusion(s): Molecular docking simulations were successfully utilized to identify the potential compounds from Merremia mammosa (Lour) tuber with the activity as an inhibitor for spike protein of SARS-CoV2. Further in vitro assay and purification are needed for future research.Copyright © 2021 Muslim OT et al.
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The course of a new coronavirus infection is associated with immune system disorders during the acute stage of the desease. Administration of effective etiotropic drugs contributes to early elimination of the virus. At the same time, risks of post-COVID immune system disorders are minimized. The aim of the study was to investigate features of the immune response formation against the background of etiotropic therapy in patients who underwent COVID-19. Material and methods. An observational retrospective comparative study was conducted. The study involved patients with COVID-19 3 months after treatment with etiotropic drugs (riamilovir or umifenovir). The study involved 87 patients (52 women and 35 men) with varying degrees of COVID-19 severity. In accordance with the study design, participants were divided into 2 groups: the first group - 41 patients (received riamilovir during the acute period of the disease);the second group - 46 patients (received umifenovir in the acute period of the disease). Statistical processing of the results was carried out using the Statistica 8.0 software package. Extensive indicators, median (Me) and interquarter range Q25-Q75 were calculated. Statistical significance between the indicators of independent samples was assessed by Mann-Whitney nonparametric test and Chi-square test. P-values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results and discussion. Analysis of clinical and laboratory data showed that after suffering COVID-19, not all indicators of the immune system in patients who had had COVID-19 recovered to control values. However, it is noted that in patients of the main group, which using riamilovir, compared to the comparison group was less likely to be diagnosed with chronic systemic syndrome, inflammation, dysregulation of the cellular link of immunity in the early post-COVID period.Copyright © Eco-Vector, 2022.
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The purpose of this review is to analyze the data of scientific articles on medicines indicated as etiotropic and approved for outpatient use within the framework of temporary methodological recommendations for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a new coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation. Material and methods. A systematic search of literature was carried out on the databases MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, GHL, OpenGrey, ICTRP and ClinicalTrials.gov until April 2021. 37 779 articles were indexed in the ScienceDirect database (keywords: SARS-CoV-2), of which (pre-press) - 2023 (2), 2022 (69), published in 2021 (19 642 articles), in 2020 (12,966 articles). The search was carried out using the following keywords: Favipiravir - 1622 publications, Umifenovir - 387 publications, which indicates a high interest in the problem of new coronavirus infection in general and its drug (etiotropic) therapy, in particular. Results. The conducted analysis demonstrates that drugs based on favipiravir have a larger number of studies proving its effectiveness in different clinical groups of patients with COVID-19, while it is important to note the breadth of the geography of published works, which allows us to speak about the reproducibility of the results. Drugs from this group have a direct antiviral effect with the studied target of action (i.e., most likely, the principle of etiotropic therapy is implemented). Conclusion. The search for new drugs, as well as the expansion of information about the mechanisms of action of previously known molecules, is the basis for the development of COVID-19 therapy regimens with maximum efficiency and safety.Copyright © 2021 Sovero Press Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 600 million people worldwide over the last 2.5 years. So far, there efficacy of many antiviral drugs against COVID-19 has been evaluated only in small studies conducted in different countries. Objective. To assess the efficacy of umifenovir in patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods. We performed systematic search of publications in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Sixteen studies with a total of 1,843 patients were included in the analysis. The following endpoints were evaluated: frequencies of negative PCR test on days 7 and 14;mortality in patients with mild, moderate, and severe disease;and frequency of fever resolution on day 7. Results. We found that patients receiving umifenovir demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of negative PCR test on day 7 than patients who received no causal therapy or other antiviral drugs (odds ratio (OR) 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09-2.62, p = 0.02, I2 = 13%). This difference was even more significant among patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.24-3.32, p = 0.005, I2 = 0%), as well as on day 14 (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.35-3.94, p = 0.0007, I2 = 50%). We also observed a reduced risk of death in the studies that included only patients with mild and moderate disease (JR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33-0.83, p = 0.006, I2 = 0). Umifenovir therapy did not affect the frequency of fever resolution by day 7 (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.49-1.56, p = 0.64, I2 = 0%). Conclusion. Umifenovir significantly accelerated virus elimination by days 7 and 14 among patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Umifenovir also reduced the risk of death compared to other antiviral drugs.Copyright © 2022, Dynasty Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then, researchers worldwide have focused their attention on identifying effective treatments and developing vaccines to combat this disease. Aim: To report the effectiveness of the drugs employed in the COVID-19 treatment protocols based on data from clinical trial studies conducted from the beginning of the pandemic until December 10, 2020. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted an advanced search in several electronic databases. A total of 13553 studies was screened by two people simultaneously and separately based on the article title, and full-text. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Cochrane criteria. Results: Of the 13553 studies identified, 50 clinical trials were included in this systematic review. Of these, three studies explored the use of remdesivir, nine studies the use of hydroxychloroquine, five studies the use of lopinavir/ritonavir, six studies the use of favipiravir, one study the use of tocilizumab, two studies the use of interferon beta-1a and two studies the use of umifenovir.
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A 50-year-old male patient with agitated depression and hyperlipemia received oral amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium 0.5 g once daily and 2 lopinavir and ritonavir tablets twice daily for novel coronavirus infection, based on previous drugs including quetiapine, clonazepam, and atorvastatin calcium. After 3 days, lopinavir and ritonavir was changed to oral arbidol 200 mg, thrice daily due to suspicious drug interaction. After taking arbidol for 3 days, the patient developed red papules on the whole body. Considering that it might be related to amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium, the drug was stopped and loratadine was given. But the rashes were aggravated. Considering that the drug eruption was caused by arbidol, arbidol was discontinued and the rashes subsided in a large area the next day. Then vitamin C injection, calcium gluconate injection, and ribavirin were added. After 5 days, the rashes subsided completely. After 17 days, the patient recovered from pneumonia.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.
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In December 2019, the endemic of COVID-19 broke out in Wuhan, China. The disease is highly contagious and quickly spreads at home and abroad, causing great concern. However, there are no definite effective antiviral drugs in clinical use. Given the urgency of the COVID-19 outbreak, based on the diagnosis and treatment recommendation and relavant researches, this article describes the optional antiviral drugs such as remdesivir, oseltamivir, arbidol, lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, and interferon-alpha to provide a reference for treatment of COVID-19.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a novel coronavirus, started in livestock within the markets of Wuhan, China and was consequently spread around the world. The virus has been rapidly spread worldwide due to the outbreak. COVID-19 is the third serious coronavirus outbreak in less than 20 years after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012. The novel virus has a nucleotide identity closer to that of the SARS coronavirus than that of the MERS coronavirus. Since there is still no vaccine, the main ways to improve personal immunity against this disease are prophylactic care and self-resistance including an increased personal hygiene, a healthy lifestyle, an adequate nutritional intake, a sufficient rest, and wearing medical masks and increasing time spent in well ventilated areas. There is a need for novel antivirals that are highly efficient and economical for the management and control of viral infections when vaccines and standard therapies are absent. Herbal medicines and purified natural products have the potential to offer some measure of resistance as the development of novel antiviral drugs continues. In this review, we evaluated 41 articles related to herbal products which seemed to be effective in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.Copyright © 2021 The Author(s).
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Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of arbidol in the treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). Method(s): Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, and case-control studies on the efficacy and safety of arbidol for COVID-19, influenza, andother respiratory virus infections were collected by searching related database at home and abroad and network platform for preprint of Health Science Papers (medRxiv) (up to April 25, 2020). Quality of the enrolled studies was evaluated by bias risk assessment tool of Cochrane collaboration network and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Meta-analysis and descriptive analysis of relevant outcome indicators were performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Result(s): A total of 15 studies were enrolled in the study, including 7 cohort studies with high-quality and 8 RCTs, 6 of which were with low bias risk and the other 2 of which were with medium bias risk. Among these studies, 8 were on arbidol treatment for COVID-19, including 5 retrospective cohort studies, 2 prospective cohort studies, and 1 RCT, and involving 809 patients (479 patients in the arbidol group and 330 in the control group);7 were RCTs on arbidol treatment for influenza or other respiratory virus infections, involving 1 471 patients (745 patients in the arbidol group and 726 in the control group).In these studies, patients were treated with arbidol (0.15-1.2 g daily for 5-21 d) in the arbidol group while with the other antiviral agents or without any antiviral drug in the control group. Meta analysis on the efficacy and safety of arbidol in treatment for COVID-19 showed that the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) nucleic acid negative conversion rate in the arbidol group was significantly higher than that in the control group [71.7% (109/152) vs. 58.8% (94/160), relative risk (RR)=1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.67, P=0.04];the difference of time taken for 2019-nCoV nucleic acid negative conversion between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (standardized mean difference=-0.17, 95%CI: -0.72-0.38, P=0.55);the difference of disease improvement rate shown by chest CT on day 7 after treatment between the 2 groups was not statistically significant [46.2% (30/65) vs. 50.7% (36/71), RR=0.88, 95%CI: 0.39-1.98, P=0.76];and the difference of incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups was not statistically significant [16.9% (39/231) vs. 19.2% (47/245), risk difference (RD)=-0.03, 95%CI: -0.10-0.04, P=0.44]. Meta analysis on the safety of arbidol in treatment for influenza and other respiratory virus infections showed that the incidence of adverse reactions in the arbidol group was significantly lower than that in the control group [5.9% (44/745) vs. 11.3% (82/726), RR=0.52, 95%CI: 0.37-0.74, P<0.01]. Conclusion(s): Arbidol could effectively increase the 2019-nCoV nucleic acid negative conversion rate and it might be safe to treat COVID-19 using arbidol.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.
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The strategy of drug repurposing has been proved successful in response to the current corona-virus pandemic, with remdesivir becoming the first drug of choice, an antiviral drug approved for the treatment of COVID-19. In parallel to this, several drugs, such as antimalarial, corticosteroids, and antibi-otics, like azithromycin, are used to treat the severe condition of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, while clinical testing of additional therapeutic drugs, including vaccines, is going on. It is reasonably expected that this review article will deliver optimized and specific curative tools that will increase the attentive-ness of health systems to the probable outlook of epidemics in the future. This review focuses on the ap-plication of repurposed drugs by studying their structure, pharmacokinetic study, different mechanisms of action, and Covid-19 guidelines, which can potentially influence SARS-CoV-2. For most of the drugs, direct clinical evidence regarding their effectiveness in the treatment of COVID-19 is missing. Future clinical trial studies may conclude that one of these can be more potential to inhibit the progression of COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Objective: To study the effect of low-to-moderate dose glucocorticoid therapy on viral clearance in patients with COVID-19. Methods: A total of 72 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from January 19 to February 17, 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine were recruited. All patients received oral arbidol and combination of lopinavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobistitat for antiviral therapy, and symptomatic supportive care. Among them, 51 patients received methylprednisolone (0.75-1.50 mg.kg-1.d-1) (glucocorticoid treatment group), and 21 patients did not use glucocorticoid (control group). The time of virologic negative conversion in sputum and the time of radiologic recovery in lung since onset were compared between the two groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test or Fisher exact test was used to compare the difference between groups. Results: The median ages of the glucocorticoid group and the control group were 52 (45, 62) and 46 (32, 56) years (chi2=4.365, P<0.05). The clinical conditions at hospital admission were different between the two groups (P<0.01). The severe cases accounted for 52.0%, while moderate cases in the control group accounted for 71.4%. The median times from the onset to virologic negative conversion in the two groups were 15 (13, 20) and 14 (12, 20) days (P>0.05). The median times from onset to radiologic recovery were 13 (11, 15) and 13 (12, 17) days in the two groups (P>0.05). In moderate cases, the median times from the onset to virologic conversion in sputum were 13 (11, 18) days in the glucocorticoid group and 13 (12, 15) days in the control group (P>0.05). The median times from onset to radiologic recovery in lung were 12 (10, 15) and 13 (12, 17) days, respectively (P>0.05). Conclusion(s): Low-to-moderate glucocorticoid treatment has no effect on the time of virus clearance in patients with different clinical types of COVID-19, and also no effect on accelerating radiologic recovery in lung, so it is not recommended.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.
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Objective: To study the effect of low-to-moderate dose glucocorticoid therapy on viral clearance in patients with COVID-19. Methods: A total of 72 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from January 19 to February 17, 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine were recruited. All patients received oral arbidol and combination of lopinavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobistitat for antiviral therapy, and symptomatic supportive care. Among them, 51 patients received methylprednisolone (0.75-1.50 mg.kg-1.d-1) (glucocorticoid treatment group), and 21 patients did not use glucocorticoid (control group). The time of virologic negative conversion in sputum and the time of radiologic recovery in lung since onset were compared between the two groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test or Fisher exact test was used to compare the difference between groups. Results: The median ages of the glucocorticoid group and the control group were 52 (45, 62) and 46 (32, 56) years (chi2=4.365, P<0.05). The clinical conditions at hospital admission were different between the two groups (P<0.01). The severe cases accounted for 52.0%, while moderate cases in the control group accounted for 71.4%. The median times from the onset to virologic negative conversion in the two groups were 15 (13, 20) and 14 (12, 20) days (P>0.05). The median times from onset to radiologic recovery were 13 (11, 15) and 13 (12, 17) days in the two groups (P>0.05). In moderate cases, the median times from the onset to virologic conversion in sputum were 13 (11, 18) days in the glucocorticoid group and 13 (12, 15) days in the control group (P>0.05). The median times from onset to radiologic recovery in lung were 12 (10, 15) and 13 (12, 17) days, respectively (P>0.05). Conclusion(s): Low-to-moderate glucocorticoid treatment has no effect on the time of virus clearance in patients with different clinical types of COVID-19, and also no effect on accelerating radiologic recovery in lung, so it is not recommended.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.
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Objective: To study the effect of low-to-moderate dose glucocorticoid therapy on viral clearance in patients with COVID-19. Methods: A total of 72 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from January 19 to February 17, 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine were recruited. All patients received oral arbidol and combination of lopinavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobistitat for antiviral therapy, and symptomatic supportive care. Among them, 51 patients received methylprednisolone (0.75-1.50 mg.kg-1.d-1) (glucocorticoid treatment group), and 21 patients did not use glucocorticoid (control group). The time of virologic negative conversion in sputum and the time of radiologic recovery in lung since onset were compared between the two groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test or Fisher exact test was used to compare the difference between groups. Results: The median ages of the glucocorticoid group and the control group were 52 (45, 62) and 46 (32, 56) years (chi2=4.365, P<0.05). The clinical conditions at hospital admission were different between the two groups (P<0.01). The severe cases accounted for 52.0%, while moderate cases in the control group accounted for 71.4%. The median times from the onset to virologic negative conversion in the two groups were 15 (13, 20) and 14 (12, 20) days (P>0.05). The median times from onset to radiologic recovery were 13 (11, 15) and 13 (12, 17) days in the two groups (P>0.05). In moderate cases, the median times from the onset to virologic conversion in sputum were 13 (11, 18) days in the glucocorticoid group and 13 (12, 15) days in the control group (P>0.05). The median times from onset to radiologic recovery in lung were 12 (10, 15) and 13 (12, 17) days, respectively (P>0.05). Conclusion(s): Low-to-moderate glucocorticoid treatment has no effect on the time of virus clearance in patients with different clinical types of COVID-19, and also no effect on accelerating radiologic recovery in lung, so it is not recommended.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.
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Background: Severe viral pneumonia cases were observed in the people of Wuhan, China in December 2019. It has already affected almost every country around the globe and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. We aim to evaluate the therapeutics and safety of various off label COVID-19 drugs. Method(s): PubMed, Research Gate, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Centre for Disease control and prevention (CDC) portal, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and prevention (CCDC) portal, World Health Organization (WHO) portal were searched for obtaining reliable data. Result(s): COVID-19 is creating a storm of deaths and active cases globally, which is forcing the pharmaceutical companies and scientists to work day and night to find an effective and safer anti-COVID-19 medication. Various in vitro and clinical trials had been performed as well as are currently ongoing to analyze the mechanisms and therapeutics of off label medications like Chloroquine, Hydroxychloro-quine, Amodiaquine, Azithromycin, Remdesivir, Favipiravir, Ritonavir/Lopinavir, Umifenovir, Osel-tamivir, Ribavirin, Nafamostat, Camostat, Tocilizumab, Ivermectin, Nitazoxanide, Famotidine, Vitamin D, Corticosteroids and Dexamethasone. In vitro studies were performed by utilizing Vero E6 cells and hSLAM cells while open/closed, randomized/non-randomized, single-centered/multi-centered and retrospective clinical trials and case studies were organized to determine their safety and efficacy. Conclusion(s): Although these drugs have shown promising results against COVID-19 patients, it cannot be concluded that these drugs are truly safe and effective because there are no conclusive evidence to support the facts since only limited researches and studies had been investigated.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
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The clinical efficacy of recombinant IFN-alpha2b in therapy for COVID-19 in children is the basis for studying the parameters of the cytokine production activity of immune system cells and will allow to optimize antiviral therapy regimens. Objective. To study the effect of recombinant IFN-alpha2b on serum IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma concentrations and their synthesis by immune system cells in children with COVID-19. Materials and methods. Peripheral blood samples from 100 patients aged 1 to 17 years (1-7 years - 50 people, 8-17 years - 50 people) with a moderate course of COVID-19 were examined. Patients in the study group received recombinant IFN-alpha2b as part of complex therapy. Patients in the comparison group received antiviral therapy with Arbidol. Multiplex analysis was used to determine serum IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma concentrations and the level of their synthesis by immune system cells. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine serum concentrations of antibodies to IFN-alpha. Results. Combination therapy with recombinant IFN-alpha2b in children of both age groups led to an increase in serum IFN-alpha concentrations compared to baseline values prior to treatment, in children in the control group and patients with COVID-19 after treatment with Arbidol. There were no significant changes in serum IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma concentrations and their synthesis in intact and PHA-stimulated cells in children of both age groups during treatment with Arbidol. Serum concentrations of antibodies to IFN-alpha during treatment with recombinant IFN-alpha2b did not depend on the age of children and remained within the reference range. Conclusion. A significant increase in serum IFN-alpha concentrations and restoration of its synthesis level induced by PHA to reference values indicate that the use of recombinant interferon medications with their antiviral and immunomodulatory effects should become an integral part of COVID-19 therapy.Copyright © 2022, Dynasty Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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2019-nCoV has a up to 96% homology with the gene sequence of a bat coronavirus. By comparing its 7 conserved non-structural proteins, it is found that 2019-nCoV belongs to SARS related coronaviruses(SARSr-CoV). The receptor for 2019-nCoV entering cells is the same as that for SARSr-CoV, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a common cross-genus receptor. This article first elaborates the interspecies transmission and genetic variation, then briefly discusses the receptors on the surface of human cells (such as ACE2 and APP4), which cause human infection and encode five proteins in the viral genome, therefore are important targets for development of antiviral drugs. The article reviews eight promising anti-coronavirus drugs, including three anti-HIV drugs (Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Danoprevir/Ritonavir, Darunavir), two anti-Ebola virus drugs (Remdesivir, Galidesivir), two anti-influenza virus drugs (Arbidol, Favipiravir) and one anti-malarial drug (chloroquine phosphate). Among them, Remdesivir, Abidol and Favipiravir have strong inhibitory effects on 2019-nCoV, they may be the most promising drugs under investigation.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.
ABSTRACT
2019-nCoV has a up to 96% homology with the gene sequence of a bat coronavirus. By comparing its 7 conserved non-structural proteins, it is found that 2019-nCoV belongs to SARS related coronaviruses(SARSr-CoV). The receptor for 2019-nCoV entering cells is the same as that for SARSr-CoV, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a common cross-genus receptor. This article first elaborates the interspecies transmission and genetic variation, then briefly discusses the receptors on the surface of human cells (such as ACE2 and APP4), which cause human infection and encode five proteins in the viral genome, therefore are important targets for development of antiviral drugs. The article reviews eight promising anti-coronavirus drugs, including three anti-HIV drugs (Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Danoprevir/Ritonavir, Darunavir), two anti-Ebola virus drugs (Remdesivir, Galidesivir), two anti-influenza virus drugs (Arbidol, Favipiravir) and one anti-malarial drug (chloroquine phosphate). Among them, Remdesivir, Abidol and Favipiravir have strong inhibitory effects on 2019-nCoV, they may be the most promising drugs under investigation.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.