Challenges of broad-spectrum antiviral drug discovery and development for emerging pathogens.

Abstract

Broad-spectrum antiviral agent (BSAA) drugs are essential in the fight against viral, especially emerging, diseases. However, their development faces several challenges including insufficiently focused funding, fragmented research efforts and limited systematic data on BSAAs. In this review, we highlight these challenges, summarize accessible collections of data on antiviral compounds and viral targets, and explore possible directions toward the development of BSAAs. Whereas most existing BSAAs have been discovered serendipitously, we posit that rational, and feasible, design of direct-acting BSAAs should be focused on homologous targets found in viruses within a single viral family.