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Updated: May 6, 2026

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds
Published on: October 29, 2015
Advances in antivirals for non-influenza respiratory virus infections
1Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Abstract:
Progress in the development of antivirals for non-influenza respiratory viruses has been slow with the result that many unmet medical needs and few approved agents currently exist. This commentary selectively reviews examples of where specific agents have provided promising clinical benefits in selected target populations and also considers potential therapeutics for emerging threats like the SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronaviruses. Recent studies have provided encouraging results in treating respiratory syncytial virus infections in lung transplant recipients, serious parainfluenza virus and adenovirus infections in immunocompromised hosts, and rhinovirus colds in outpatient asthmatics. While additional studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of the specific agents tested, these observations offer the opportunity to expand therapeutic studies to other patient populations.
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