COVID-19: A review of therapeutic strategies and vaccine candidates

The world is engulfed by one of the most widespread and significant public health crises in decades as COVID-19 has become among the leading causes of death internationally. The novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus which causes COVID-19 has unified the scientific community in search of therapeutic and preventative solutions. The top priorities at the moment are twofold: first, to repurpose already-approved pharmacologic agents or develop novel therapies to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the ever-spreading virus. Secondly, the scientific and larger pharmaceutical community have been tasked with the development, testing, and production of a safe and effective vaccine as a longer-term solution to prevent further spread and recurrence throughout the populace. The purpose of this article is to review the most up-to-date published data regarding both the leading pharmacological therapies undergoing clinical trials and vaccine candidates in development to stem the threat of COVID-19.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a major global public health crisis, prompting urgent efforts in the scientific community to search for therapeutic and preventative solutions, including the development of pharmacological therapies and vaccines. This article aims to review the latest data on pharmacological therapies undergoing clinical trials and vaccine candidates in development to combat COVID-19.