Antiviral drugs

Abstract

Viral diseases of clinical importance in which protection or some measure of therapeutic benefit has been obtained with antiviral drugs include, among the DNA viruses, vaccinia, smallpox, herpes simplex and varicella zoster, and, among the RNA viruses, influenza. The drugs so far available are methisazone, idoxuridine, cytarabine and amantadine, but treatment is not without risk, and can be expensive.