Antiviral therapy is treatment with antiviral drugs, a class of medication used to treat viral infections; most target a particular virus, though a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of them. Antivirals fall within the larger family of antimicrobials, alongside antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic agents, and because viruses replicate using the host cell's own machinery, developing a drug that clears infection without harming the patient's cells is a central challenge; most antivirals are considered relatively harmless to the host, unlike virucides, which deactivate viral particles outside the body and are not medications. Currently available antivirals mainly treat HIV, herpesviruses, hepatitis B and C, and influenza A and B, and the field grew substantially from advances in viral genetics combined with the intensified research the HIV and AIDS epidemic drove.
Facts
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Treats
Antiviral therapy is standard treatment for viral encephalitis where a treatable virus (e.g. herpes simplex) is identified.
Antiviral therapy is the standard emergency treatment for neonatal herpes simplex infection.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiviral_drug, lead sectionQuote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiviral_drug, lead section
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections.
2. Wikipedia: Idoxuridine
WikipediaLead sectionQuote, Lead section
Initially developed as an anticancer drug, idoxuridine became the first antiviral agent in 1962.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the first antiviral drug?
Idoxuridine in 1962.
Idoxuridine is recorded as the first antiviral agent, in 1962. It was first developed as an anticancer drug before it became the first drug used against viruses. The field later grew substantially with advances in viral genetics and the intensified research that the HIV and AIDS epidemic drove.
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