Antipicornavirus compounds and their use as a common cold therapy

In this article, the patent literature from the first half of 1992 through to the last half of 1996 is reviewed. The recent strategies used to develop antiviral therapies for the treatment of rhinovirus infections are described. These include new developments in the design of ‘classical’ uncoating inhibitors and inhibitors of picornaviral proteases. In particular, discovery efforts from groups at Janssen, Sandoz, Schering-Plough and Sterling Winthrop have led to identification of broader acting and more potent uncoating inhibitors. The in vitro and in vivo effects of these promising new inhibitors are described. The ability to inhibit the proteolytic activity of picornaviral proteases has been demonstrated by a new class of peptidyl-aldehydes from the Chiron and Lilly research groups. This new approach as a potential antiviral therapy is described.