Present and future treatment strategies for coronavirus disease 2019

Background: The recent pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in many challenges to the healthcare organizations around the world. Unfortunately, until now, there are no proven effective therapeutic agents against this virus.

Main body: Several evolving studies suggest repurposing a potential list of drugs which have appropriate pharmacological and therapeutic effects to be used in treating COVID-19 cases. In the present review, we will summarize the potential drugs suggested to be repurposed to be utilized in the treatment of COVID-19 patients like lopinavir-ritonavir, ribavirin, baloxavir marboxil, favipiravir, remdesvir, umifenovir, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, corticosteroids, losartan, statins, interferons, nitric oxide, epoprostenol, tocilizumab, siltuximab, sarilumab anakinra, and ruxolitinib. In addition, we discussed the possible future therapeutic regimens based on the recent molecular and genomic discoveries.

Conclusion: This review could provide beneficial information about the potential current and future treatment strategies to treat the pandemic COVID-19 disease.