Progress in drug development for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

ABSTRACT

Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections has been increasing and health care is facing huge challenges. Innovative drug development in emergency and the development of new indications for the treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the market have become critical to finding effective drugs and optimal treatment options for COVID-19. The angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) -inducing mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 invasion into host cells and the potential therapeutic targets based on SARS-CoV-2 and (or) host include RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, 3-chymotrypsin-like protease, papain like protease, Janus kinase, interleukine-6 and immune modulators etc. Based on the pharmacological mechanism mentioned above the clinical research and development of new indications and innovative drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 have achieved great progress, but no specific drugs have been found. Some traditional Chinese medicines can block the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle, regulate human immune response and play an important role in the treatment of COVID-19. The new drugs for COVID-19 are undergoing Phase I clinical studies worldwide, and biologic drugs are gaining momentum, accounting for 67% of the total. The problems with the research and development of drugs for COVID-19 treatment in China include inadequate of biological safety laboratories, less research on SARS-CoV-2 reacting mechanisms, shortages of non-clinical cells and animal models, imperfect research platforms for quantitative pharmacological research and training systems of professionals and poor levels of informatization of drug clinical trials and sample detection. It is hoped that China can take this opportunity to improve the ability to develop new drugs in emergency and better protect human health.