Antiviral Drug Strategies

New viruses can arise very quickly and, if unchecked, result in major pandemics. Obvious examples being the AIDS and SARS virus. In order to deal with such imminent threats, drug development times need to be cut short. This is only possible by relying on proven strategies and adapting them to the specific features of any new virus or virus variant.

By focusing on general molecular mechanisms of antiviral drugs rather than therapies for individual viruses, this ready reference provides the critical knowledge needed to develop entirely novel therapeutics and to target new viruses. It is edited by Erik de Clercq, a world authority on antiviral drug discovery.

The volume covers a general discussion of antiviral strategies, followed by a broad survey of known viral targets, such as reverse transcriptases, proteases, neuraminidases, RNA polymerases, helicases, and primases, as well as their known inhibitors. The book also contains several case studies of recent successful antiviral drug development. As a result, medicinal and pharmaceutical chemists, as well as virologists will be able to pinpoint strategies for combating future viral pandemics.