The relentless efforts in the fight against virus-related infections have borne fruit and antiviral drugs have made their appearance as efficient tools in the prevention and treatment of viral infections. Through serious research and expertise, we are dedicated to identifying and creating effective antiviral medication in order to enhance the control of viral infections.
Introduction to Antiviral Drugs
Antiviral drugs have been developed to stop viruses from reproducing and spreading in the body. Antiviral medications are highly important in the treatment and prevention of viral diseases within the branch of infectious diseases. Their introduction has revolutionized medicine because there are many infectious diseases caused by various viral agents and antiviral medications provide hope for treating them.
Fig. 1 Mechanisms of antiviral activity exerted by CPP conjugates. (Delcroix M, Riley L W., 2010)
Types and Mechanisms of Antiviral Drugs
The antiviral medications can be classified into different classes based on how they function and the viral elements they affect. The categories that have been identified are as follows:
| Types |
Mechanism |
| Attachment Inhibitors |
Prevent viruses from attaching to host cells |
| Entry Inhibitors |
Inhibit the fusion of viral and cellular membranes or block viral entry receptors |
| Uncoating Inhibitors |
Interfere with the process of viral uncoating to impede the virus from replicating |
| Polymerase Inhibitors |
Inhibit the viral enzymes responsible for replicating the viral genome, such as DNA or RNA polymerases |
| Protease Inhibitors |
Block viral protease enzymes |
| Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors |
Inhibit reverse transcriptase to impede the conversion of viral RNA into DNA (target retroviruses) |
| Integrase Inhibitors |
Disrupt the activity of viral integrase enzymes to prevent the establishment of a permanent viral reservoir within the host cell |
Typical Antiviral Drugs
A great deal of research and development has enabled the approval of a wide array of antiviral drugs for the management of infectious diseases over the years. Certain previously acknowledged antiviral drugs include:
Acyclovir
Acyclovir functions by blocking viral DNA polymerase activity. This compound is used mostly as an antiviral agent for the management of infections caused by the herpes simplex virus, such as genital herpes and herpes labialis.
Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
Oseltamivir acts by inhibiting the action of the neuraminidase located on the periphery of the particles of influenza viruses. It is used primarily in the management or prevention of influenza due to either A or B type viruses.
Lopinavir/Ritonavir
Lopinavir and ritonavir are prescribed chiefly for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The two drugs are classed in the category of protease inhibitors and in that respect, they prevent the action of the protease enzyme of the virus responsible for HIV.
Remdesivir
As a nucleotide analogue, Remdesivir operates by inhibiting RNA polymerase. It has been shown to be effective against a large array of RNA viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Our Services
The management and treatment of viral infections has been vastly improved through the introduction of antiviral drugs. Our firm sets out with the goal of devising new antiviral drugs for use against infectious diseases. Based on intensive research and development, we pursue the goal of addressing all aspects of the virus cycle through the creation of drugs that resin viral replication, diminish viral load, and relieve the symptoms caused.
Antiviral Drug Development Process
We aid in the detection and confirmation of potential targets in various stages of the viral life cycle that are responsible for either the replication or the infection of a virus with the help of high through screening, computer modeling, genoprotemics and other technologies.
Drug Discovery and Design
Our chemists are involved in the discovery and design of compounds that can bind to the specified targets and inhibit their activities, which includes screening chemical libraries and drug design based on the target's structure.
It is through creation and validation of lead compound analogs that we assess their efficacy and then enhance their potency, specificity and biophysical characteristics to achieve the desired outcomes.
This stage is crucial to the designing of a drug delivery system. Our company helps develop appropriate formulations to ensure stability, bioavailability and patient compliance of antiviral drugs. We can develop oral, topical, parenteral, sustained-release formulations, etc.
We conduct in vivo preclinical studies using appropriate animal models to evaluate the antiviral efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of compounds. This pertains to the assessment of the target compound in terms of its capacity to inhibit viral replication, limit viral load, or combat pathology caused by the virus.
Antiviral Activity Evaluation
We employ in vitro assays as measurements for the capacity of lead compounds to stop viral reproduction or infection. This includes consideration and testing with respect to the effects of compounds on viral replication, on entry of the virus into the host cells, on viral enzymes and on the toxic effects of compounds on host cells.
Optional Antiviral Drugs and Applicable Diseases
Optional Antiviral Drug Types
- Attachment Inhibitors
- Entry Inhibitors
- Uncoating Inhibitors
- Polymerase Inhibitors
- Protease Inhibitors
- Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
- Integrase Inhibitors
- And More
Applicable Viral Infections
- Adenovirus Infection
- Calicivirus Infection
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- Zika Fever
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- And More
If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details and quotation information of related services.
References
- Delcroix M, Riley L W. Cell-penetrating peptides for antiviral drug development[J]. Pharmaceuticals, 2010, 3(3): 448-470.
- Wan Q, Song D, Li H, et al. Stress proteins: the biological functions in virus infection, present and challenges for target-based antiviral drug development[J]. Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 2020, 5(1): 125.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
