Broad-spectrum antiviral drug

Short description: Class of antiviral drugs

Broad-spectrum antivirals (BSAs) are a class of molecules or compounds, which inhibit the replication of a broad range of viruses (i.e. viruses belonging to two or more viral families). BSAs could be divided into experimental and investigational agents, and approved drugs. BSAs work by inhibiting viral proteins (such as polymerases and proteases) or by targeting host cell factors and processes exploited by different viruses during infection.[1] As of 2021, there are 150 known BSAs in varying stages of development, effective against 78 human viruses.[2] BSAs are potential candidates for treatment of emerging and re-emerging viruses, such as ebola, marburg, and SARS-CoV-2.[3][4] Many BSAs show antiviral activity against other viruses than originally investigated (such as remdesivir and interferon alpha). Efforts in drug repurposing for SARS-CoV-2 is currently underway. A database of BSAs and viruses they inhibit could be found here (https://drugvirus.info/).

## See also

* Broad-spectrum antibiotic
* Broad-spectrum therapeutic

## References

1. ↑ "Infectious disease. Combating emerging viral threats". Science 348 (6232): 282–3. April 2015. doi:10.1126/science.aaa3778. PMID 25883340.
2. ↑ "DrugVirus.info". https://drugvirus.info/.
3. ↑ "Drug repurposing for new, efficient, broad spectrum antivirals". Virus Research 264: 22–31. April 2019. doi:10.1016/j.virusres.2019.02.011. PMID 30794895.
4. ↑ "Discovery and development of safe-in-man broad-spectrum antiviral agents" (in English). International Journal of Infectious Diseases 93: 268–276. April 2020. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.02.018. PMID 32081774.