key: cord-1014802-hq5n3gy8 authors: Rahimkhoei, Vahid; Jabbari, Nassrollah; Nourani, Aynaz; Sharifi, Sina; Akbari, Ali title: Potential small‐molecule drugs as available weapons to fight novel coronavirus (2019‐nCoV): A review date: 2020-08-17 journal: Cell Biochem Funct DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3576 sha: 53c1230e4b5880143b51ff161c9757283ed4e7fa doc_id: 1014802 cord_uid: hq5n3gy8 Since the new coronavirus known as 2019‐nCoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS‐CoV‐2) has widely spread in Wuhan, China, with severe pneumonia, scientists and physicians have made remarkable efforts to use various options such as monoclonal antibodies, peptides, vaccines, small‐molecule drugs and interferon therapies to control, prevent or treatment infections of 2019‐nCoV. However, no vaccine or drug has yet been confirmed to completely treat 2019‐nCoV. In this review, we focus on the use of potential available small‐molecule drug candidates for treating infections caused by 2019‐nCoV. life because of mandatory isolations/quarantines. [2] [3] [4] Generally, coronaviruses are known as relatively heavy and large viruses with enveloped positive sense single-stranded RNA genome and categorized into four classes as alpha, beta, gamma and delta. More information about these classes and coronaviruses structure are beyond the scope of this review and have been already described in literatures. [4] [5] [6] Although there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs to prevent or treat COVID-19, we herein highlighted recent advances in the use of the pharmaceutical care of some frequently used small-molecule drugs in patients with 2019-nCoV. Table 1 showed their chemical structures and ClinicalTrials ID. The synthesis of chloroquine (CQ) backs to 1943 in Germany. During World War II, it was administered for the prophylaxis and treatment of malaria. After approving by the World Health Organization as an essential medicine, 7 it was found to be useful to treatment of other diseases such as skin diseases, sarcoidosis, extra intestinal amoebiasis, chronic Q fever and rheumatoid disorders. In 1955, one important analogue of CQ known as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was employed for the treatment of rheumatologic and dermatologic diseases. 8 This anti-malarial agent has become a mainstay of anti-inflammatory treatment, given its relative low cost and favourable safety profile compared with other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Retinal toxicity remains a well-known side effect of the long-term use of HCQ and its predecessor CQ. 9 It should be highlighted that the efficacy and safety of these drugs for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 (the new virus causing COVID-19) pneumonia remains unclear. 10 However, according to the previous studies, the so-called drugs inhibit coronavirus via a series of steps. 11 In one report, Yao et al 12 Remdesivir is a phosphoramidate nucleotide analogue prodrug that is F I G U R E 3 A cartonic illustration of the antiviral mechanism of HCQ and CQ. CQ, chloroquine; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine metabolized to a triphosphate form in cells and has been known as a broad inhibitor of RNA viruses, including filo-, pneumo-, paramxyo-and coronaviruses. 21 Remdesivir has shown great effectiveness against a number of coronaviruses with IC 50 values of 0.1 M in human airway epithelial cell models of coronavirus infection. Remdesivir is currently being used as an antiviral therapy to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection. 22 The COVID-19 epidemic Coronaviridae Study Group of the International CSG. The species severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and naming it SARS-CoV-2 Will novel virus go pandemic or be contained? 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The experimental study of the anti-SARS-CoV effect of Arbidole People's Liberation Army Arbidol combined with LPV/r versus LPV/r alone against Corona virus disease 2019: a retrospective cohort study Favipiravir, an anti-influenza drug against lifethreatening RNA virus infections Experimental treatment with Favipiravir for COVID-19: an open-label control study. Engineering The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5061-2609Ali Akbari https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6027-292X