The Story of Influenza Antivirals: Part 1

Laying the ground for the pandemic

‘The first human influenza virus was isolated in 1933 by Smith, Andrewes and Laidlaw. By the 1950s, there was great interest in developing influenza antivirals, but although many were deemed promising, none made it beyond the first human experiments or even larger trials. 

Influenza antivirals are specifically designed to interfere with the development and replication of viruses. Sometimes their antiviral properties are discovered by chance. The early antiviral effects were weak, and at other times the harms induced influenza-like symptoms, the very symptoms they were employed to combat. 

We’ve gone back into our archives to look at a Cochrane review we did on the role of antivirals for the common cold based exclusively on original records of the Common Cold Unit. Unfortunately, however,  this review had to be withdrawn in 2004 because of a common occurrence in our research careers - there were no funds to update it. 

Who wanted to invest in a review of dud drugs? 

We secured access to th…