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

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.

► Combination drug (i.e. Quad) therapy for HIV. HIV prevention through treatment. ► Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for HCV. ► Helicase-primase inhibitors (HPIs) (i.e. AIC316) for HSV. FV-100 (valine ester of Cf1743) for VZV. CMX001 and ST-246 for poxviruses. ► Various drugs (i.e. tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for HBV. Peramivir and laninamivir octanoate for influenza virus. New antiviral agents for enveloped viruses-at-large.