On the Verge of the 3000th Publication: Reflections on Deceptions, Successes and Perspectives

A lifelong career devoted to the development of specific antiviral agents eventually yielded, besides (almost) 3000 publications, about ten antiviral compounds that were approved and marketed as antiviral drugs, i.e., DHPA (Duviragel®), BVDU (Zostex®, Mevir®, Brivir®…), VACV (Zelitrex®, Valtrex®), d4T (Stavudine®), emivirine (Coactinon®), rilpivirine (Edurant®), HPMPC (Vistide®), PMEA (Hepsera®), tenofovir (Viread®) and AMD-3100 (Mozobil®), with the latter as a hematopoietic stem cell mobilizer. The targeted viruses for these compounds were herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV). For other viruses, such as filo-, rhabdo-, arena-, myxo-, polyoma- and papillomaviruses, strategies have been elaborated that should facilitate future developments of antiviral drugs.