Human viral diseases: what is next for antiviral drug discovery?

Authors :: De Clercq E
Source :: Current opinion in virology [Curr Opin Virol] 2012 Oct; Vol. 2 (5), pp. 572-9. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Jul 28.
Publication Year :: 2012
Abstract: For the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections for which there are ample drugs available, the immediate future lies in a once-daily combination pill containing three or four active ingredients. This strategy may also be envisaged for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections as soon as we have at hand the appropriate direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) to be combined. A combination drug therapy is generally not entertained for other viruses. Yet, new drugs are at the horizon for the treatment of herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), poxvirus, hepatitis B virus (HBV), influenza and enveloped viruses-at-large.<br /> (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)