There is an urgent need for targeted and effective COVID-19 treatment. A
number of medications, including hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir,
lopinavir-ritonavir, fapiravir, and tocilizumab, have been identified as
potential treatments for COVID-19. Bringing these repurposed medications
to the public for COVID-19 will require robust and high-quality clinical
trials. This article reviews translational science principles and
strategies for conducting clinical trials in a pandemic and evaluates
recent trials for each drug candidate. We hope that this knowledge will
help focus efforts during this crisis and lead to the expedited
development and approval of COVID-19 therapy.