Exploring the Power and the Promise of In Silico Clinical Trials: Possible Applications in COVID-19 Pandemic

Abdelmoneim, Abdelrahman Khalil Safinaz Osman Hiba Rewane Ayesan Elbage Sahar

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically engulfed the word causing catastrophic damage to the human society. Several therapeutic and vaccines has been suggested for the disease with over 150 clinical trial currently running or under process. Nevertheless, these trials are hugely expensive and require a very long times, which present the need for an alternative cost effective methods to tackle this urgent requirements for validated therapeutics and vaccine. Bearing this in mind, here we assess the use of in silico clinical trials as a significant development in the field of clinical research which hold the possibility to reduce the time and cost needed in clinical trials on COVID-19 and other disease. Methods: Here we analyzed six relevant scientific articles regarding possible application of in silico clinical trial in testing the therapeutic and investigational methods managing different diseases using PubMed database. Finding: Successful uses of in silico trials was observed in many of the reviewed evidence. Interpretation: We deduced from this review that more focus and fund should be put on in silico clinical trials as it help in refinement and partial replacing of the current long conventional clinical trials on COVID-19. Funding: No funding was acquired for this paper.Declaration of Interests: The authors declare to have no conflict of interest regarding the making of this paper.