Laura Kakkola, Suvi Kuivanen, Hannimari Kallio-Kokko, Mira Laajala, Andres Merits, Anders Bergqvist, Uga Dumpis, Pille Letjuka, Henrik Paavilainen, Astra Vitkauskiene, Kaidi Telling, Varpu Marjomäki, Magnar Bjørås, Eva Zusinaite, Valentyn Oksenych, Kåre Bondeson, Natalja Metelitsa, Mårten Strand, Olli Vapalahti, Mona Teppor, Anu Kantele, Svein Arne Nordbø, Veijo Hukkanen, Hilde Lysvand, Aleksandr Ianevski, Magnus Evander, Denis E. Kainov, Irja Lutsar, Christina Öhrmalm, Tero Aittokallio, Ilkka Julkunen, Miia Valkonen, Rebecca Jane Cox, Tanel Tenson, Medicum, Viral Zoonosis Research Unit, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Clinicum, Department of Medicine, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Anu Kantele-Häkkinen Research Group, Tero Aittokallio / Principal Investigator, Bioinformatics, Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Veterinary Microbiology and Epidemiology, Veterinary Biosciences, Olli Pekka Vapalahti / Principal Investigator, HUS Perioperative, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, and HUS Inflammation Center
According to the WHO, there is an urgent need for better control of viral diseases. Re-positioning existing safe-in-human antiviral agents from one viral disease to another could play a pivotal role in this process. Here, we reviewed all approved, investigational and experimental antiviral agents, which are safe in man, and identified 59 compounds that target at least three viral diseases. We tested 55 of these compounds against eight different RNA and DNA viruses. We found novel activities for dalbavancin against echovirus 1, ezetimibe against human immunodeficiency virus 1 and Zika virus, as well as azacitidine, cyclosporine, minocycline, oritavancin and ritonavir against Rift valley fever virus. Thus, the spectrum of antiviral activities of existing antiviral agents could be expanded towards other viral diseases., Highlights • 339 approved, investigational and experimental safe-in-human antivirals were identified. • 59 compounds, which target ≥3 viral diseases, were selected. • 55 of the 59 compounds were tested against 8 RNA and DNA viruses. • 7 compounds were found to possess novel antiviral activities.