Overview of favipiravir and remdesivir treatment for COVID-19

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in the wholesale market in Wuhan, China in the last months of 2019 and spread to almost all countries of the world Although several vaccines have already been developed in different countries of the world, there is currently no specific treatment for COVID-19 Some agents are used all over the world based on in-vitro, in-vivo studies, and randomized controlled studies The number of studies on antiviral therapy has been increasing day by day However, the efficacy of antiviral drugs for COVID-19 remains controversial In this review, brief information about antiviral drugs favipiravir and remdesivir used for the treatment of COVID-19, the results of the conducted studies, and the possible adverse effects of these drugs are summarized We hope that this review will provide an impression of favipiravir and remdesivir used to treat and control COVID-19 patients until the approval of specific drugs that target SARS-CoV-2