Remdesivir and favipiravir for COVID -19: An update

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2 infection has already resulted in more than 6 lakhs death worldwide. Various drugs like hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, dexamethasone, ivermectin etc are examples of drugs currently used to treat COVID-19 with varying results. Remdesivir is a broad spectrum anti-viral agent, which is active against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-1, Ebola virus etc. Favipiravir had been widely used for treating influenza pandemics in Japan in 2014 .Studies showed that it was effective for treating many RNA viruses like arenavirus, bunyavirus, flavivirus, and filoviruses causing hemorrhagic fever and Ebola virus. Remdesivir and favipiravir are anti-viral agents tried in patients with COVID-19 with varying results. Currently Remdesivir is recommended in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 requiring supplemental oxygen and favipiravir in patients with mild to moderate disease. In this article we are reviewing the pharmacological features and clinical use of Remdesivir and favipiravir in COVID-19.