New Antiretrovirals for HIV and Antivirals for HBV

This article describes recent research toward the discovery of new antiretrovirals for HIV and antivirals for HBV. There is a particular focus on new compounds that have been studied in clinical trials and/or have been recently approved for use. We show that HIV research has matured significantly in the past 10 years, with new drug candidates targeting nearly all stages of the viral replication cycle, and new complete regimens for viral suppression that are significantly simpler, more effective, and better tolerated than ever before. In addition, research toward HIV cure has begun in earnest. HBV research is at a more nascent stage. Two types of treatments are approved—nucleosides- and interferon-based treatments—that provide viral suppression and improve liver function. But these therapies only rarely lead to HBV cure (sAg seroconversion). Current HBV research is described that targets both viral mechanisms (such as capsid) and host mechanisms (immunomodulators and transcriptional inhibitors).