Coronavirus In the battle against COVID-19, drugs discovered in repurposing screens are of particular interest because these could be rapidly implemented as treatments. However, Tummino et al. deliver a cautionary tale, finding that many leads from such screens have an antiviral effect in cells through phospholipidosis, a phospholipid storage disorder that can be induced by cationic amphiphilic drugs (see the Perspective by Edwards and Hartung). There is a strong correlation between drug-induced phospholipidosis and inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 replication in cells. Unfortunately, drugs that have an antiviral effect in cells through phospholipidosis are unlikely to be effective in vivo. Screening out such drugs may allow a focus on drugs with better clinical potential. Science , abi4708, this issue p. [541][1]; see also abj9488, p. [488][2] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abi4708 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abj9488