Łukasz Dobrek

Antiviral drugs and vaccines currently used for COVID-19
2023-12-22

The beginning of the 21st century was marked by the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the infectious cause of COVID-19 disease. The disorder is characterized by various courses and symptoms, mostly arising from the upper and lower respiratory tract. Within a short period of time, the SARS-CoV-2 infection became a global pandemic and caused widespread global health, social, and economic consequences. Due to the initial lack of causal treatment of the infection and specific methods of primary prevention, and in the face of the emergence of subsequent genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2, extensive and comprehensive research was undertaken to introduce new drugs with anti-coronavirus activity and novel vaccines enabling active immunization against COVID-19. The research resulted in a relatively quick registration of the first mRNA-based vaccines and vector vaccines, as well as the introduction of symptomatic treatment regimens for the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The increasing knowledge regarding the COVID-19 pathophysiology allowed for the identification of new, potential target side of action of innovative compounds applicable in the treatment of COVID-19. They include agents with immunomodulatory effects (reducing the risk of a "cytokine storm" during infection), inhibitors of intracellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 (compounds against the superficial viral spike protein), or inhibitors of intracellular viral replication (nucleoside analogues, protease inhibitors). The aim of the study was to provide the most up-to-date state of knowledge regarding currently used vaccines and specific antiviral treatments for COVID-19. The manuscript is a narrative review that describes the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 symptomatology. It also provides a brief overview of  the vaccines against COVID-19 currently registered by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and/or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (company products: BioNTech and Pfizer, Moderna Biotech Spain S.L., Janssen-Cilag International NV, Novavax CZ, a.s., AstraZeneca AB, Sanofi Pasteur, Valneva Austria GmbH and HIPRA Human Health S.L.U.). Moreover, it also describes antiviral drugs against the SARS-CoV-2 infection (tixagevimab/ cilgavimab, anakinra, nirmatrelvir/ ritonavir, regdanvimab, casirivimab/ imdevimab, remdesivir, sotrovimab, tocilizumab, baricitinib, molnupiravir, vilobelimab).

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, vaccine, antiviral drug, treatment.

© Farm Pol, 2023, 79(9): 507–527