Antiviral therapy for COVID-19 virus: A narrative review and bibliometric analysis

The COVID-19 epidemic has become a major international health emergency. Millions of people have died as a result of this phenomenon since it began. Has there been any successful pharmacological treatment for COVID-19 since the initial report on the virus? How many searches are undertaken to address the impact of the infection? What is the number of drugs that have undergone investigation? What are the mechanisms of action and adverse effects associated with the investigated pharmaceuticals used to treat COVID-19? Has the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved any medication to treat COVID-19? To date, our understanding is based on a restricted corpus of published investigations into the treatment of COVID-19. It is important to note that no single study comprehensively encompasses all pharmacological interventions for COVID-19. This paper provides an introductory summary of a bibliometric analysis conducted on the data about COVID-19, sourced explicitly from two platforms, namely PubMed and ScienceDirect. The analysis encompasses the period spanning from 2019 to 2022. Furthermore, this study examines the published literature about the pharmacological interventions for the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), explicitly focusing on the safety and effectiveness of different medications such as Remdesivir (marketed as Veklury®), Lopinavir/Ritonavir (commercially known as Kaletra® or Aluvia®), Ribavirin, Favipiravir (marketed as Avigan®), Ivermectin, Casirivimab and Imdevimab (branded as Ronapreve®), Sotrovimab (marketed as Xevudy®), Anakinra, Molnupiravir, Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (marketed as Paxlovid®), and Galidesivir. Findings indicate that while Remdesivir and Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir show significant efficacy in reducing hospitalization and severe outcomes, drugs like Lopinavir/Ritonavir and Ivermectin have inconsistent results. Our insights suggest a multifaceted approach incorporating these therapies can significantly improve patient outcomes. Repurposing drugs has been critical in rapidly responding to COVID-19, allowing existing medications to be used in new ways to combat the virus. Combination therapies and further research are essential to optimize treatment strategies.