About 30 Antiviral Drugs are being Tested for the Treatment of COVID-19

About 30 antiviral drugs are being tested by innovative pharmaceutical companies to determine if they are effective in treating patients with COVID-19, the Association of Research Pharmaceutical Manufacturers said. The companies share compounds and information from their databases in a collaborative effort to accelerate the development of therapeutic agents and diagnostics to deal with current and future coronavirus outbreaks, the organization said.

The pharmaceutical research industry focuses on three key areas: the development of diagnostic methods, the creation of new vaccines and drug therapies to help combat COVID-19; assisting governments and health systems at local level and ensuring that medicines are delivered to patients who need them.

In all health emergencies from HIV to SARS, from Ebola to coronavirus, attention is drawn to the research biopharmaceutical industry that society expects to discover and develop vaccines, diagnostics and medicines. In 2014, hundreds of researchers were mobilized to fight with the Ebola epidemic and contributed to the development of two vaccines and new diagnostic tests that helped to control further outbreaks of the disease. The current pandemic requires even more mobilization, so the response from the pharmaceutical research industry is immediate, united and significant, the organization said in a statement.

Innovative pharmaceutical companies are also working to create a vaccine against / COVID-19 infection. New diagnostic methods for rapid and reliable detection of infected with COVID-19 are being developed.