Identification and Development of Therapeutics for COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Virology and Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Drug Discovery and Development

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019, causing a global pandemic.
• Previous coronavirus outbreaks, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), provided valuable research for COVID-19 treatment and prevention.
• The scientific community rapidly responded to the COVID-19 crisis, identifying numerous candidate therapeutics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze the different approaches used to identify candidate therapeutics for COVID-19.
• To assess the effectiveness of these approaches in the context of a rapidly evolving pandemic.
• To provide insights into managing coronavirus diseases and responding to emerging viral threats.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of therapeutic candidate identification into four main approaches: clinical adaptation, virological properties, host response, and data-driven identification.
• Review of existing research on SARS and MERS to inform COVID-19 therapeutic strategies.
• Analysis of the scale of the COVID-19 crisis for data collection on therapeutic effects.

Main Results:

• Multiple candidate therapeutics for COVID-19 have been identified through various strategies.
• A few therapeutics have received regulatory authorization, while most are still under investigation.
• The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique opportunity to evaluate therapeutic identification approaches.

Conclusions:

• The rapid identification of therapeutics for COVID-19 demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Insights gained from the COVID-19 response can improve management of future coronavirus diseases and emerging viral threats.
• Strategic responses to emerging viral epidemics are crucial for saving lives.