The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is causing a worldwide pandemic that may lead to a highly morbid and potentially fatal
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is currently no drug that has been proven as an effective
therapy for
COVID-19. Several candidate drugs are being considered and evaluated for treatment. This includes clinically available drugs, such as
chloroquine,
hydroxychloroquine, and
lopinavir/
ritonavir, which are being repurposed for the treatment of
COVID-19. Novel
experimental therapies, such as
remdesivir and
favipiravir, are also actively being investigated for
antiviral efficacy. Clinically available and investigational
immunomodulators, such as the
interleukin 6 inhibitors
tocilizumab and
sarilumab and the anti-
granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor lenzilumab, are being tested for their anticipated effect in counteracting the pro-inflammatory
cytokine environment that characterizes severe and critical
COVID-19. This review article examines the evidence behind the potential use of these leading drug candidates for the treatment of
COVID-19. The authors conclude, based on this review, that there is still no high-quality evidence to support any of these proposed
drug therapies. The authors, therefore, encourage the enrollment of eligible patients to multiple ongoing clinical trials that assess the efficacy and safety of these candidate
therapies. Until the results of controlled trials are available, none of the suggested
therapeutics is clinically proven as an effective
therapy for
COVID-19.