Vesatolimod (GS-9620) is an
antiviral
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do no ...
drug developed by
Gilead Sciences, which acts as a potent and selective agonist of
Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), a receptor involved in the regulation of the
immune system
The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splinte ...
. It is used to stimulate the immune system, which can increase its ability to combat chronic viral infections. Vesatolimod is in
clinical trial
Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietar ...
s to determine whether it is safe and effective in patients with
Hepatitis B and
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
, and has also shown activity against other viral diseases such as
norovirus and
enterovirus 71.
See also
*
Imiquimod
Imiquimod, sold under the brand name Aldara among others, is a medication that acts as an immune response modifier that is used to treat genital warts, superficial basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis. Scientists at 3M's pharmaceuticals ...
*
Motolimod
References
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Antiviral drugs