A systematic review of lopinavir therapy for SARS coronavirus and MERS coronavirus—A possible reference for coronavirus disease‐19 treatment option

• Published in: Journal of Medical Virology Vol. 92; no. 6; pp. 556 - 563
• Main Authors: Yao, Tian‐Tian, Qian, Jian‐Dan, Zhu, Wen‐Yan, Wang, Yan, Wang, Gui‐Qiang
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.06.2020; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Betacoronavirus - drug effects; Betacoronavirus - enzymology; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Cell Line; Chemistry; Clinical Trials as Topic; Coronaviridae; coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - drug therapy; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - virology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease Models, Animal; Epidemics; Health risks; Health services; Humans; Literature reviews; Lopinavir; Lopinavir - therapeutic use; Medical treatment; MERS; Mice; Middle East respiratory syndrome; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - drug effects; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - enzymology; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - pathogenicity; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - drug therapy; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Public health; Respiratory diseases; Review; Reviews; Ritonavir - therapeutic use; SARS; SARS Virus - drug effects; SARS Virus - enzymology; SARS Virus - pathogenicity; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - diagnosis; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - drug therapy; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - epidemiology; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - virology; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Therapeutic applications; Treatment Outcome; Viral diseases; Virology; COVID-19; SARS; coronavirus; lopinavir; MERS
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25729

In the past few decades, coronaviruses have risen as a global threat to public health. Currently, the outbreak of coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) from Wuhan caused a worldwide panic. There are no specific antiviral therapies for COVID‐19. However, there are agents that were used during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) epidemics. We could learn from SARS and MERS. Lopinavir (LPV) is an effective agent that inhibits the protease activity of coronavirus. In this review, we discuss the literature on the efficacy of LPV in vitro and in vivo, especially in patients with SARS and MERS, so that we might clarify the potential for the use of LPV in patients with COVID‐19. Highlights LPV is an effective agent inhibiting coronavirus in vitro and animal studies. The treatment of LPV improved outcomes of SARS and MERS patients. LPV may be a potential treatment option for COVID‐19.