Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development

The term “Antiviral” refers to a substance that either kills viruses or limits their ability to replicate, preventing them from spreading and reproducing.

It is crucial for the development of antiviral medications to comprehend the chemical biology of the virus, in particular how it interacts with the host cell.

Particularly for the treatment of viral infections, antiviral drugs are employed. In a manner similar to how antibiotics are used to treat bacterial diseases, certain antiviral drugs are used to treat particular viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs don't cure diseases. Instead, they just stop them from getting worse.

Antiviral drugs can be grouped according to their chemical nature or how they react with certain viral proteins. There are numerous types of antiviral drugs that can treat viruses, including:

• Nucleoside analogs
• Non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitors
• Protease inhibitors
• Neuraminidase inhibitors
• M2 channel blockers
• Interferons

The following methods are used to assess antiviral activity:

• In vitro assay
• MTT assay
• Direct assays
• Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
• Immunofluorescence assay
• Plaque reduction assay
• Hemagglutination assay