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Updated: Oct 29, 2025

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds
Published on: October 29, 2015
Peptide-Based Antiviral Drugs
N Arul Murugan1, K Muruga Poopathi Raja2, N T Saraswathi3
1Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. murugan@kth.se.
Abstract:
Three types of chemical entities, namely, small organic molecules (organics), peptides, and biologics, are mainly used as drug candidates for the treatment of various diseases. Even though the peptide drugs are known since 1920 in association with the clinical use of insulin, only a limited number of peptides are currently used for therapeutics due to various disadvantages associated with them such as limited serum and blood stability, oral bioavailability, and permeability. Since, through chemical modifications and structure tuning, many of these limitations can be overcome, peptide-based drugs are gaining attention in pharmaceutical research. As of today, there are more than 60 peptide-based drugs approved by FDA, and over 150 peptides are in the advanced clinical studies. In this book chapter, the peptide-based lead compounds and drugs available for treating various viral diseases and their advantages and disadvantages when compared to small molecules drugs are discussed.
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