Table 1 Common and potent antiviral drugs
Status | Drugs | Action mode | Anti-infective mechanism | Target diseases | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Approved | Lopinavir/Ritonavir | Protease inhibitors | Inhibiting HIV-1 protease for protein cleavage, resulting in non-infectious, immature viral particles | HIV/AIDS, SARS, MERS | |
Approved, Investigational, Vet approved | Chloroquine | 9-aminoquinolin | Increasing endosomal pH, immunomodulating, autophagy inhibitors | Malaria, autoimmune disease | |
Experimental | Remdesivir (GS-5734) | Nucleotide analogue prodrug | Interfering with virus post-entry | Ebola, SARS, MERS (A wide array of RNA viruses) | |
Investigational | Nafamostat | Synthetic serine protease inhibitor | Prevents membrane fusion by reducing the release of cathepsin B; anticoagulant activities | Influenza, MERS, Ebola | |
Approved | Ribavirin | Synthetic guanosine nucleoside | Interfering with the synthesis of viral mRNA (a broad-spectrum activity against several RNA and DNA viruses) | HCV, SARS, MERS | |
Approved | Oseltamivir | Neuraminidase inhibitor | Inhibiting the activity of the viral neuraminidase enzyme, preventing budding from the host cell, viral replication, and infectivity | Influenza viruses A | |
Approved | Penciclovir/ Acyclovir | Nucleoside analog | A synthetic acyclic guanine derivative, resulting in chain termination | HSV, VZV | [97] |
Approved, Investigational | Ganciclovir | Nucleoside analog | Potent inhibitor of the Herpesvirus family including cytomegalovirus | AIDS-associated cytomegalovirus infections | [98] |
Investigational | Favipiravir (T-705) | Nucleoside analog: Viral RNA polymerase inhibitor | Acting on viral genetic copying to prevent its reproduction, without affecting host cellular RNA or DNA synthesis | Ebola, influenza A(H1N1) | |
Approved, Investigational, Vet approved | Nitazoxanide | Antiprotozoal agent | Modulating the survival, growth, and proliferation of a range of extracellular and intracellular protozoa, helminths, anaerobic and microaerophilic bacteria, viruses | A wide range of viruses including human/animal coronaviruses |