ABSTRACT
Today, more than 50 compounds have been formally approved for the treatment of viral infections. They are formally licensed for clinical use in the treatment of several viral infections caused by several human viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes simplex viruses, varicella–zoster virus, respiratory syncytial virus, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, or influenza A virus. The chapter first describes the mechanism of action of the main approved antiviral drugs, summarized in Table 53.1, and then discusses issues stemming from the broad use of the antiviral drugs that we have seen in the last decade.
