（9）新型コロナウイルス感染症に対する創薬・治療薬の現状と今後

抄録

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide since the first case of infection was confirmed in the Wuhan province of China in December 2019. To combat the unexpected global pandemic of COVID-19, many clinical trials of drug repositioning and novel antiviral drugs to develop effective treatments, as well as vaccine development to prevent infection, have been rapidly conducted worldwide. While drug development tends to take >10 years, mRNA vaccine, a new modality, was developed with incredible speed and was able to be used clinically within just one year of the COVID-19 outbreak, saving many lives and returning social activities to normal. The World Health Organization declared the end of the pandemic on May 5, 2023, and in Japan, the disease was reclassified from "class 2 equivalent" to "class 5" under the Infectious Diseases Control Law on May 8, 2023. While pharmaceutical and vaccine development was progressing vigorously around the world, Japan is clearly lagging behind, leading various issues to be raised. To prepare for the next pandemic, measures are currently being taken in Japan. This review summarizes the current state of drug discovery and treatment, focusing on the COVID-19 treatments and vaccines approved in Japan to date, as well as the ongoing countermeasures expected to resolve issues brought by the next pandemic.