Seeking innovative concepts in development of antiviral drug combinations

Antiviral drugs are crucial for managing viral infections, but current treatment options remain limited, particularly for emerging viruses. These drugs can be classified based on their chemical composition, including neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), recombinant human receptors (rhRs), antiviral CRISPR/Cas systems, interferons, antiviral peptides (APs), antiviral nucleic acid polymers, and small molecules. Some of these agents target viral factors, host factors, or both. A major challenge for virus-targeted treatments is their narrow-spectrum effectiveness and the potential for drug resistance, while host-directed and virus/host-targeted therapies often suffer from significant side effects. The synergistic combination of multiple antiviral drugs holds promise for improving treatment outcomes by targeting different stages of the viral life cycle, reducing resistance, and minimizing side effects. However, developing such drug combinations presents its own set of challenges. Several drug combinations could be optimized, and new combinations developed by using AI, to more effectively treat both emerging and re-emerging viral infections.