Lack of Effectiveness of Repurposed Drugs for COVID-19 Treatment

The magnitude of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has prompted the repurposing of several drugs to quickly stop the morbidity, mortality, and spread of this new disease. Repurposed drugs tested to fight COVID-19 have been chosen mainly on the basis of promising in vitro efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 or on previous therapeutic results with other human coronavirus diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) (1). Numerous clinical trials have already been completed, but no repurposed drug evaluated to date has been found that could significantly impact the course of COVID-19 pandemic.