Antiviral Agents for Influenza: Molecular Targets, Concerns of Resistance, and New Treatment Options

Authors: Maltezou, Helen C.; Tsiodras, Sotirios

Source: Current Drug Targets, Volume 10, Number 10, October 2009 , pp. 1041-1048(8)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

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Abstract:

As resistance of influenza viruses to antiviral agents continues to evolve, new issues arise concerning appropriate therapy and novel therapeutic means that target influenza infections. Emergence of novel influenza mutations may lead to phenotypic as well as clinical resistance that may become a problem in serious influenza cases. Moreover, crucial public health issues emerge such as appropriate antiviral stockpiling for prepandemic and pandemic phases. The use of antiviral agents against seasonal, avian, and pandemic influenza should be an integral part of current pandemic preparedness planning and should be based on local and international surveillance data on antiviral resistance. As we tackle such resistance issues there appears to be an urgent need for developing strategies to conserve current antivirals against influenza, develop new agents or formulations that will exploit current pharmacokinetic knowledge, and study combination regimens.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2009-10-01

More about this publication?

Current Drug Targets aims to cover the latest and most outstanding developments on the medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of molecular drug targets e.g. disease specific proteins, receptors, enzymes, genes. Each issue of the journal will be devoted to a single timely topic, with series of in-depth reviews, written by leaders in the field, covering a range of current topics on drug targets. These issues will be organized and led by a guest editor who is a recognized expert in the overall topic. As the discovery, identification, characterisation and validation of novel human drug targets for drug discovery continues to grow; this journal will be essential reading for all pharmaceutical scientists involved in drug discovery and development.