In December 2019 many patients in a city in China called Wuhan, developed severe Pneumonia by a pathogen which was unknown. Later the virus that causes this disease was identified as a novel corona virus (2019-nCov). Corona virus (2019-nCov) derives its name from latin corona (crown) referring to the shape of proteins around the virion. It is an RNA virus belongs to Betacoronavirus which also contains SARS-CoV and Middle East Respiratory syndrome Co-V (MERS-CoV).  



All these clinical trials are conducted in China

Name of drug

Company

Mechanism

Clinical trial

ASC09/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, with or without umifenovir

Ascletis, AbbVie, Pharmstandard

ASC09 is an experimental HIV-1 protease inhibitor; ritonavir and lopinavir/ritonavir are approved protease inhibitors for HIV/AIDS; umifenovir is an approved entry inhibitor against influenza

At least three trials (e.g., ChiCTR2000029603, 2/6/20)

ASC09/oseltamivir, ritonavir/oseltamivir, oseltamivir

Ascletis, Gilead, AbbVie

oseltamivir is a sialidase inhibitor approved for influenza

 

One trial (NCT04261270, 2/7/20)

Azvudine

Zhengzhou Granlen PharmaTech

Experimental reverse transcriptase inhibitor drug against HIV-1/AIDS

One trial (ChiCTR2000029853, 2/15/20)

Various combinations of baloxavir marboxil/favipiravir and lopinavir/ritonavir

Shionogi, Toyama Chemical

Baloxavir marboxil is a Cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor and favipiravir is a guanine analog RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor approved for influenza A and B

Two trials (ChiCTR2000029544, 2/3/20; ChiCTR2000029548, 2/4/20)

Various combinations of darunavir/cobicistat alone or with lopinavir/ritonavir and thymosin α1

Janssen, Gilead

Darunavir and cobicistat are, respectively, an HIV-1 protease inhibitor and inhibitor of cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A enzyme, approved as a combination against HIV-1/AIDS. Thymosin α1 is an immune response boosting agent

Two trials (NCT04252274, 2/5/20; ChiCTR2000029541, 2/3/20)

Remdesivir

Gilead

Phosphoramidate prodrug of an adenine analog used for Ebola and Marburg virus outbreaks (similar structure to approved HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors)

Two trials (NCT04252664, 2/5/20; NCT04257656, 2/6/20)

Chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine

Shanghai Zhongxi Pharmaceutical, Shanghai Ziyuan Pharmaceutical, Wuhan Wuyao Pharmaceutica

Endosomal acidification fusion inhibitor

At least ten trials (e.g., ChiCTR2000029826, 2/2/20; NCT04261517, 2/14/20)

Methylprednisolone

Generic

Synthetic corticosteroid that binds to nuclear receptors to dampen proinflammatory cytokines

One trial (NCT04263402, 2/10/20)

Interferon alfa-2b alone or in combination with lopinavir/ritonavir and ribavirin

Biogen, Merck

Interferon alfa-2b is a recombinant cytokine with antiviral properties; ribavirin is a guanine derivative; as above

Two trials (NCT04254874, 2/5/20; ChiCTR2000029308, 1/23/20)

Camrelizumab and thymosin

Incyte, Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical

Camrelizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting PD-1

Two trials (ChiCTR2000029806, 2/14/20; NCT04268537, 2/14/20)

Tocilizumab

Chugai Pharmaceutical, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical, Jiangsu Qyun Bio-Pharmaceutical

Humanized mAb targeting interleukin-6

One trial (ChiCTR2000029765, 2/13/20)