Viruses are microorganisms that are as varied in type as the plants and animals of the macroscopic world. A particularly virulent virus can infect and kill a human host, which is 10 million times larger. The human immune system is the first line of defense against any infectious organism. However, sometimes this protection proves inadequate to the viral challenge. In this situation humans attempt to provide additional aid in retarding viral reproduction through the use of antiviral drugs until an overwhelmed immune system is able to cope with the infection. This type of self-help is the object of antiviral drug research.

Antiviral Drugs by John Driscoll provides up-to-date information on the classification, history, structure, preclinical development, bioactivity, pharmacology, and effectiveness of the 72 most important antiviral agents. A carefully researched collection of over 400 references places details of definitive recent antiviral research at the reader's fingertips. An appendix contains for each drug an at-a-glance, detailed sketch, which includes chemical structure and molecular formula, identification numbers, synonyms, physical properties, toxicities, and manufacturers. Introductory chapters describe where viruses fit into the world of microorganisms, explore the unique properties of DNA and RNA viruses, and show how new antiviral drugs are discovered and developed into useful medicines.