COVID-19 drugs: A necessary strategy for living with COVID-19 in the new normal and the mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 such as omicron variant

Table 1. Summary of FDA-authorized COVID-19 drugs (up to Sep, 2021) [8, 9, 11]

Group	Drugs	Therapeutic indication	Administration	Mechanism
Antiviral drug	Remdesivir	- Hospitalized patient (≥12 years old & ≥ 40 kg of weight) - Hospitalized pediatric patient (3.5 kg to < 40kg of weight or < 12 years old & ≥ 3.5 kg of weight)	IV 200mg on the first day, 100mg daily for the next 9 days	- Inhibits RNA replication through binding to viral RdRp
Antibody	Casirivimab + Imdevimab	- Mild to moderate patient (≥12 years old & ≥ 40 kg of weight) Patient with high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 (Bamlanivimab + Etesevimab is not used where their resistant rate exceeds 5%)	Treament/post-exposure prophylaxis 600mg + 600mg, single IV infusion /subcutaneous injection	- Recombinant monoclonal Abs - Bind to spike protein's nonoverlapping epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 virus to block its entry
	Sotrovimab		500mg, single IV infusion	- Bind to the spike protein's epitope conserving between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV virus to block its entry
	Bamlanivimab + Etesevimab		Treament/post-exposure prophylaxis: - 700mg + 1400mg, single IV infusion	- Neutralizing monoclonal Abs - Bind to different spike protein's overlapping epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 virus to block its entry
	High-titer COVID-19 convalescent plasma	- Hospitalized patient in early stage of disease - Patient with impaired immune system	Initially with 1 unit (about 200mL) - Additional units are based on medical judgment and clinical response	- Contains Abs to SARS-CoV-2 virus from patients who recovered from COVID-19
Immune system modulator	Corticoid (Dexamethasone)	- Patient requires oxygen support	6mg dexamethasone or equivalences - IV/PO once daily	-Anti-inflammatory
	Tocilizumab	- Hospitalized patient (≥ 2 years old) receiving systematic corticoids and requiring supplemental oxygen support	<30kg of weight: 12mg/kg ≥30kg of weight: 8mg/kg - Single IV infusion	- Anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal Abs, suppress interleukin-6 level
	Baricitinib	- Hospitalized patient (≥ 2 years old) receiving systematic corticoids and requiring supplemental oxygen support	2 - < 9 years old: 2mg ≥ 9 years old: 4mg - PO once daily	- JAK inhibitor, prevents the phosphorylation of STAT proteins, which induces immunosuppression - Antiviral effect via interfering viral endocytosis