The Development of Non-Carbohydrate-Based Influenza Virus Sialidase Inhibitors

The chapter summarises the development of influenza virus sialidase inhibitors that are not structurally derived from carbohydrates, for instance sialic acid. The classification of inhibitor structures, such as the approved drugs oseltamivir and peramivir, is made based on the type of scaffold used, from six-membered aromatic systems to five-membered carbocylic scaffolds. For the most important examples, milestones and unexpected results during their development as well as the respective syntheses are discussed. The last two sections describe natural products with influenza sialidase inhibitory activity which might serve as lead structures in the future and, in brief, discuss the increasing number of in silico studies in the field.