The global effort to combat and contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the recently discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now proceeding on a war footing. The world was slow to react to the developing crisis, but once the contours of the impending calamity became evident, the different state and non-state actors have raced to put their act together. The COVID-19 pandemic has blatantly exposed the shortcomings of our healthcare system and the limitations of medical science, despite considerable advances in recent years. To effectively tackle the current pandemic, almost unprecedented in the modern age, there is an urgent need for a concerted, sustained, and coordinated effort towards the development of new diagnostics, therapeutic and vaccines, and the ramping up of the healthcare infrastructure, especially in the poorer underprivileged nations. Towards this end, researchers around the world are working tirelessly to develop new diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics. Efforts to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 are presently underway in several countries around the world, but a new vaccine is expected only by the end of the year-at the earliest. New drug development against COVID-19 and its approval may take even longer. Under such circumstances, drug repurposing has emerged as a realistic and effective strategy to counter the current menace, and several antiviral and antimalarial medicines are currently in different stages of clinical trials. Researchers are also experimenting with nutrients, vitamins, monoclonal antibodies, and convalescent plasma as immunity boosters against the SARS-CoV-2. This report presents a critical analysis of the global clinical trial landscape for COVID-19 with an emphasis on the therapeutic agents and vaccines currently being tested at pandemic speed.

全球抗击和遏制由最近发现的严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 引起的 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 的努力目前正处于战备状态。世界对正在发展的危机反应迟缓，但一旦即将发生的灾难的轮廓变得明显，不同的国家和非国家行为体就竞相采取行动。尽管近年来取得了相当大的进步，但 COVID-19 大流行公然暴露了我们医疗保健系统的缺陷和医学科学的局限性。为了有效应对当前几乎前所未有的现代大流行，迫切需要协调一致、持续和协调的努力来开发新的诊断方法、治疗方法和疫苗，并加强医疗基础设施，特别是在较贫穷的弱势国家。为此，世界各地的研究人员正在不懈地努力开发新的诊断方法、疫苗和治疗方法。目前，世界上多个国家正在努力开发针对 COVID-19 的疫苗，但预计最快要到今年年底才能研制出新疫苗。针对 COVID-19 的新药开发及其批准可能需要更长的时间。在这种情况下，药物再利用已成为应对当前威胁的现实而有效的策略，几种抗病毒和抗疟疾药物目前正处于不同阶段的临床试验。研究人员还在试验使用营养素、维生素、单克隆抗体和恢复期血浆作为对抗 SARS-CoV-2 的免疫增强剂。 本报告对 COVID-19 的全球临床试验情况进行了批判性分析，重点是目前正在以大流行速度进行测试的治疗药物和疫苗。