Seven classes of antiviral agents

Abstract

The viral epidemics and pandemics have stimulated the development of known and the discovery of novel antiviral agents. About a hundred mono- and combination antiviral drugs have been already approved, whereas thousands are in development. Here, we briefly reviewed 7 classes of antiviral agents: neutralizing antibodies, neutralizing recombinant soluble human receptors, antiviral CRISPR/Cas systems, interferons, antiviral peptides, antiviral nucleic acid polymers, and antiviral small molecules. Interferons and some small molecules alone or in combinations possess broad-spectrum antiviral activity, which could be beneficial for treatment of emerging and re-emerging viral infections.