Table 1.  Antiviral drugs in pipeline for treating COVID-19.
Name of the company  Details of antiviral drugs under development  Ref.
Innovation Pharmaceuticals  Brilacidin – a defensin (protein) mimetic drug candidate  [44]
CytoDyn  Leronlimab – CCR5 antagonist  [45]
Roche  Tocilizumab – Roche initiated phase III clinical trials  [46]
Biocryst Pharma  Galidesivir – adenosine nucleoside analogue acts by blocking viral RNA polymerase  [47]
Roivant Sciences  Gimsilumab – monoclonal antibody targets pro-inflammatory cytokine ‘granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)’ which is high in corona virus patients.  [48]
I-Mab Biopharma  TJM2 – acts by neutralizing high GM-CSF in corona virus infected patients  [49]
Airway Therapeutics  AT-100 – developing human recombinant protein. It has collaborated with Celonic Group for producing AT-100  [50]
Tiziana Life Sciences  TZLS-501 – a monoclonal antibody and are planning to deliver it using its proprietary formulation technology, which are patent protected  [51–53]
OyaGen  OYA1 – is a broad spectrum antiviral compound which is more effective than chlorpromazine HCl in inhibiting corona virus  [54]
Beyond Spring  BPI-002 – a small molecule, acts as an adjuvant when combined with a vaccine. This small molecule is protected by a provisional US patent application (yet to be published)  [55]
Algernon Pharmaceuticals  Ifenprodil – small molecule that can be delivered via oral route. Filed a pre-IND application with USFDA. Ifenprodil is a generic drug originally developed by Sanofi  [56]
APEIRON Biologics  APN01 – Recombinant form of human angiotensin convertase enzyme 2. Dr. Josef Penninger, University of British Columbia, has carried out extensive research on APN01 in collaboration with various companies and academic institutes  [57]
Lattice Biologics Limited  AmnioBoost – is an amniotic fluid concentrate obtained from subjects during cesarean delivery  [57]
Synairgen Research  SNG001 – is nothing but interferon β – 1a administered as an inhalation to COVID patients  [58]
Emanta Pharmaceuticals  It is testing various known and new small molecule drug candidates that have the potential to act against COVID 19.  [59]
Vir Biotechnology  VIR-7831 and VIR-7832 are two monoclonal antibodies that target the spike protein of the corona virus and enter via ACE2 cell receptor. Vir has collaborations for development of these antibodies  [60]
Columbia University  Received a research grant of 2.1 million USD from Jack Ma foundation to develop various drugs for treatment of corona virus. They are developing antiviral drugs and an antibody that has the potential to neutralize the virus  [61]