Antivirals for influenza: historical perspectives and lessons learned.

The development of the currently available classes of antivirals, the M2 proton channel inhibitors and the neuraminidase inhibitors, provides valuable perspectives relevant to the field of antiviral chemotherapy in general and insights into aspects of viral pathogenesis and antiviral resistance relevant specifically to influenza. The efficacy observed with these antiviral drugs has proven the importance of these antiviral targets, as well as the principle that chemoprophylaxis and early treatment are possible in influenza infections with small molecular weight inhibitors.