The present situation in the antiviral chemotherapy is discussed from the point of view of drugs available for treatment of the most important human pathogens. While the existing battery of approved drugs is aimed mainly at the therapy of AIDS, there are several drugs available for treatment of diseases caused by DNA viruses (herpesviruses, hepatitis B). The prospect is much worse in the therapy of infections caused by RNA viruses except for the recently approved anti-influenza preparations. Drugs in clinical development are aimed at enteroviruses and hepatitis C, as well as at resistant mutants of HIV, HBV and VZV.

        Key words: chemotherapy, viral diseases, DNA viruses, RNA viruses, AIDS, antivirals.