Widely-used anti-influenza drugs (oseltamivir and zanamivir) are sialic acid analogs that interfere with release of newly-generated viruses from infected cells by inhibiting the viral enzyme neuraminidase.
Tamiflu and other anti-influenza drugs exist.
Peramivir, an experimental anti-influenza drug, developed by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals has not yet been approved for sale in the United States.
The two structures also suggest different binding sites for the adamantane class of anti-influenza drugs.
The preparations include buying anti-influenza drugs, developing a vaccine against the pandemic virus and improving the monitoring of respiratory and other illnesses among people and animals.
Ribavirin protected mice against mortality from both A and B strains of influenza, and ICN originally planned to market it as an anti-influenza drug.
Modern medicine has given us an influenza vaccine, an anti-influenza drug (amantadine) and plenty of antibiotics to prevent or treat secondary bacterial infections.
At a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America this month in San Francisco, one speaker asked the audience how many had a supply of anti-influenza drugs at home.
A3 A major Indian drug company announced it would start making a generic version of Tamiflu, the anti-influenza drug that is in critically short supply.
However, A(H5N1) is believed to be susceptible to the costlier class of anti-influenza drugs known as the neuraminidase inhibitors.
