Conventional and Unconventional Approaches for Innovative Drug Treatments in COVID-19: Looking Outside of Plato’s Cave

Abstract

Thousands of drugs and nutraceuticals along with their combinations can be used to select candidate therapeutics for targeting the transmission, proliferation and the fatal or severe symptoms of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in order to reduce the unacceptably high mortality rate observed in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its associated negative effects on daily life worldwide [...]

Newly Emerged Antiviral Strategies for SARS-CoV-2: From Deciphering Viral Protein Structural Function to the Development of Vaccines, Antibodies, and Small Molecules

“…A cytokine storm is associated with a high rate of COVID-19 mortality by causing hyperinflammation [ 142 , 143 ]. Multiple strategies have been applied to treat COVID-19 symptoms to manage this disease [ 144 , 145 ]. For example, high levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly associated with a higher death rate in COVID-19 patients [ 146 ].…”

Deferiprone: A Forty-Year-Old Multi-Targeting Drug with Possible Activity against COVID-19 and Diseases of Similar Symptomatology

“…The general strategy for curbing the COVID-19 pandemic is based on the prevention of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the identification and development of drug(s) and vaccines, which can decrease the mortality rate to minimum acceptable levels [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. In this context, measures preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2—such as self-isolation, distancing between individuals and face masks, as well as vaccinations and the administration of different drugs for supporting the prospects of survival in selected categories of seriously ill patients—have so far been the mainstay therapy for the limited control of the spread of the infection and therapeutic prospects for decreasing the rate of mortality [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

Ethics in Medicines: Exposing Unethical Practices and Corruption in All Sectors of Medicines Is Essential for Improving Global Public Health and Saving Patients’ Lives

“…The lack of access to inexpensive, effective, non-toxic medicines particularly for patients in poorer countries is a major contributor to the high rates of mortality and morbidity of millions of patients worldwide [ 4 ]. This is clearly demonstrated nowadays for example by the inequality between poor and rich nations in the access and supply to vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the absence of effective medications for treating many orphan and tropical diseases, as well as other diseases [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

“…The range of examples includes but is not limited to governments, international health organizations, regulatory authorities, patients organizations, elite medical journals, hospitals, universities, physicians and other public employees etc. [ 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

“…Most importantly it is the responsibility of the academic and research communities to safeguard public health and not only to identify and highlight such problems but also to employ the appropriate tools in academic research to list the criteria and find solutions against unethical and corrupt practices in all the sectors of public health including medicines. Within this context topics such as ethics, corruption and related issues should be taught in schools and universities and sophisticated research tools should be employed by research organizations, which should be similar or even better than the sophisticated, influential, powerful marketing methods used by mainly multinational companies for maximizing profits in medicines and public health care in general [ 4 , 7 , 9 ]. Furthermore, every effort should be made for instituting in addition to ethical committees, anticorruption units in public hospitals and universities, as well as the establishment of protective measures against fraud and corruption, transparency and accessibility and also for protecting against any form of victimization at all levels of persons or organizations exposing any form of unethical and corrupt practices [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”