Anti-Influenza Treatment: Drugs Currently Used and Under Development

Influenza is a very common contagious disease that carries significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment with antiviral drugs is available, which if administered early, can reduce the risk of severe complications. However, many virus types develop resistance to those drugs, leading to a notable loss of efficacy. There has been great interest in the development of new drugs to combat this disease. A wide range of drugs has shown anti-influenza activity, but they are not yet available for use in the clinic. Many of these target viral components, which others are aimed at elements in the host cell which participate in the viral cycle. Modulating host components is a strategy which minimizes the development of resistance, since host components are not subject to the genetic variability of the virus. The main disadvantage is the risk of treatment-related side effects. The aim of this review is to describe the main pharmacological agents currently available and new drugs in the pipeline with potential benefit in the treatment of influenza.