Scientists make breakthrough towards ‘universal’ antiviral drugs
Targeting sugars on the outside of viruses could offer a first line of defence against emerging pandemics. Disclaimer If you would like to republish this article, please follow these steps: use the HTML below; do not edit the text; include the author’s byline; credit VaccinesWork as the original source; and include the page view counter script. Researchers claim to have taken a major step towards a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that could protect against numerous deadly viruses, including future pandemic threats. By targeting sugar molecules found on the surface of many viruses that share structural similarities – even across unrelated virus families – they identified four compounds that successfully blocked infections from seven different viruses. “This is the kind of antiviral tool the world urgently needs. If a new virus emerges tomorrow, we currently have nothing to deploy. These compounds offer the potential to be that first line of defence,” said Dr Adam Braunschweig at the City
News from the lab Research summary Scientists make breakthrough towards ‘universal’ antiviral drugs Targeting sugars on the outside of viruses could offer a first line of defence against emerging pandemics. 29 August 2025 3 min read by Linda Geddes Republish this article Republish this article Disclaimer If you would like to republish this article, please follow these steps: use the HTML below; do not edit the text; include the author’s byline; credit VaccinesWork as the original source; and include the page view counter script. <article> <h1> <span>Scientists make breakthrough towards ‘univer
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