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Updated: Jan 10, 2026
09:29
Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds
Published on: October 29, 2015
30.8K
Effective Antivirals in Pandemic Preparedness: Past Mistakes, Future Needs
Antonios-Periklis Panagiotopoulos1, Cleo Anastassopoulou1, Athanasios Tsakris1
1Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Summary
Future pandemics require faster responses. A dedicated antiviral research and development agenda is proposed to complement vaccine-centric strategies, ensuring equitable access and better cost-benefit analysis for global health security.
Area of Science:
- Pandemic preparedness
- Antiviral research
- Global health security
Background:
- Current pandemic response systems face limitations in speed and flexibility.
- COVID-19 R&D funding disproportionately favored vaccines over antivirals.
- Limited or misleading early data on antiviral effectiveness hindered their use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a dedicated antiviral agenda for future pandemic preparedness.
- To address the therapeutic blind spot in vaccine-centric pandemic strategies.
- To ensure equitable global access to effective antiviral interventions.
Main Methods:
- Coordinating research and development for broad-spectrum antiviral agents.
- Funding Phase 2/3 clinical trials for high-severity pathogens.
- Enabling rapid manufacturing scale-up and equitable global access strategies.
Main Results:
- Antivirals offer potential advantages in early outbreak control and specific populations.
- A coordinated antiviral agenda can fill critical therapeutic gaps.
- Proposed strategies aim for transparency, equity, and rigorous evidence-based decision-making.
Conclusions:
- A dedicated antiviral agenda is crucial for enhancing pandemic response flexibility and effectiveness.
- Integrating antivirals alongside vaccines provides a more comprehensive pandemic preparedness strategy.
- Future strategies must rigorously evaluate the cost-benefit and risk-benefit ratios of both vaccines and antivirals.
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