Antiviral Chemistry - HIV & HSV

This course provides pharmacy students with a clear and clinically meaningful understanding of antiviral medicines, linking molecular drug chemistry to real patient scenarios. Designed to bridge the gap between complex antiviral pharmacology and everyday pharmacy practice, you will learn how antiviral drugs work at the biochemical level, why certain viruses are difficult to treat, and how to apply this knowledge in patient-centred care. Through concise notes, visual explanations, and case-based quizzes, you will explore mechanisms of action, resistance pathways, and therapeutic decision-making for key antiviral drug classes — including NRTIs, NNRTIs, protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, and nucleoside analogues such as aciclovir. This course focuses on core viral infections relevant to practice, including HIV and herpes viruses, and emphasises why combination therapy is essential to prevent resistance.