Macrolide treatment for COVID-19: Will this be the way forward?

• DOI: 10.5582/bst.2020.03058
• Publication Date: 2020-04-04T22:03:50Z
• Authors: Masashi Ohe; Haruki Shida; Satoshi Jodo; Yoshihiro Kusunoki; Masahide Seki; Ken Furuya; Houman Goudarzi
• Keywords: Hydroxychloroquine; Pandemic; Coronavirus; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Drug repositioning

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic that has developed in late 2019 and 2020 is a serious threat to human health. With no vaccines or drugs approved for prevention treatment until now, all efforts at drug design and/or clinical trials of already are worthy creditable. Using structure-based selection identification SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitors, old such as macrolides (MAC) were predicted be effective COVID-19. Lately, the anti-viral effects have attracted considerable attention. Very recently, hydroxychloroquine combination with azithromycin was reported We believe treatments alone other promising open possibility an international strategy fight this emerging viral infection.