Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has substantially deteriorated the public health globally by adversely impacting the physical, mental, and economical condition of the society. There is no definite treatment available yet. However, a few medicinal products have been repurposed and approved in various regions under different regulatory frameworks. Additionally, a number of medicinal products are in the pipeline which provide hope that effective therapeutics may be available quite soon. Developing new medicines or repurposing the existing ones poses manifold challenges that affect all the stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professionals and regulatory authorities. A coordinated approach from all the stakeholders is the need of the hour to combat catastrophic effects of COVID-19.
In this issue, you will read about:
- Various therapeutic options including cell and gene therapies for COVID-19
- The authorization status of medicinal products in various regions and products under development for COVID-19
- The key challenges expected in COVID-19 treatment, from the stakeholders’ perspective