Antiviral

An antiviral targeting the dengue virus was quietly abandoned by industry, but it's now suddenly back in the spotlight. A new study suggests it didn’t just slow the dengue virus, it blocked viral replication and reduced infection rates at high doses.

Tucked away in the immune systems of a few people across the globe was something extraordinary, a genetic shield against every virus nature could throw at them. Now researchers are trying to turn this discovery into a universal antiviral treatment.

Looking beyond jabs, sprays or tablets, scientists are thinking outside the box for delivering antiviral medication to prevent the spread of highly transmissible bugs. Their secret weapon? Chewing gum – but one made from a rather fascinating bean.

COVID antiviral Paxlovid wasn't perfect. Many patients couldn't take it due to extreme side effects but now the second generation of antivirals are on the way and they promise better efficacy and fewer drug complications.

Researchers developed a nanospiked surface that was 96% effective in destroying a common virus responsible for causing respiratory illnesses in children. The technology could safeguard researchers, health workers and patients from viral spread.

A new study has found that an extract made from willow bark, the precursor to aspirin, possesses effective broad-spectrum antiviral properties. The discovery may mean we will soon have a new way of fighting viral infections like colds and flu.

In the neverending human-vs-virus battle, scientists often focus on disrupting the protein coating on the bugs. New research shows an alternative: using certain compounds to act as molecular "pins" that pop the membranes holding viruses together.

While most of us wouldn't dream of not washing our spoons or forks after each use, we have no problem repeatedly using – or sharing – a never-washed tube of lipstick. That's why scientists have developed a cranberry-fortified antimicrobial lipstick.

Copper is known for its ability to kill microbes on contact, which is why it's often professionally coated onto commonly touched items. A copper nanowire spray may allow everyday folks to give existing surfaces the same treatment, using a spray can.

The FDA issued emergency use authorization to a second oral COVID-19 treatment. Molnupiravir is not as effective as Pfizer’s recently approved COVID pill and experts are concerned the drug has the potential to generate new SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Pfizer’s experimental COVID-19 antiviral pill has shown extraordinary efficacy in the first data from a large clinical trial. The results reveal the oral treatment reduces hospitalization or death in high-risk patients by 89 percent compared to placebo.

As the US Government invests billions of dollars into COVID-19 antiviral research, scientists are racing to develop a pill that people can take at home to treat the disease in its earliest stages.