Antiviral therapy

Preview

We have had “miracle drugs” for bacterial infection for more than half a century, but viruses, not surprisingly, have proved to be hardier, more resistant organisms than bacteria. In more recent years, though, a number of agents active against viruses have been developed. Last fall, several experts in viral disease met at a conference called New Directions in Antiviral Chemotherapy. Dr Bean was among those invited to participate, and we asked her to review the information exchanged about this rapidly changing field from the perspective of our readers. The following article is an overview of the new directions discussed at that meeting and a well-documented summary of where antiviral chemotherapy stands today.