Anti‐DNAVirus Agents

Abstract

Anti‐DNA virus agents that are inhibitory to the replication of DNA viruses have been reviewed by Tim Middleton and Rockway in Burger's Medicinal Chemistry, 6th ed., volume 5. Here we will address the various agents effective against these different viruses. For each of the (classes of) compound(s), we will, where applicable, specifically focus on (i) the antiviral compounds that are clinically available; (ii) the antiviral compounds that are under (pre)clinical development; (iii) the mechanism of action of the compounds; (iv) their structure–activity relationship (SAR); (v) resistance that may have arisen; (vi) recent clinical data obtained with the compounds while under development. Previous reviews on antiviral agents have been dealing with “looking back in 2009 at the dawning of antiviral therapy now 50 years ago: an historical perspective,” highlighting the discovery of acyclovir [9‐(2‐hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine] as a specific antiherpetic agent, “the design of drugs for HIV and HCV,” “HIV drug development: the next 25 years,” “interferons at age 50: past, current, and future impact on biomedicine,” “the way forward in HCV treatment‐finding the right path,” “antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infections: the past, the present, and the future,” “antiviral agents active against influenza A viruses,” “the war against influenza: discovery and development of sialidase inhibitors,” “antivirals and antiviral strategies,” and “clinical potential of the acyclic nucleoside phosphonates cidofovir, adefovir, and tenofovir in treatment of DNA virus and retrovirus infections.”