Nature Communications · 4 October 2026 · From issue 46
Multivalent antiviral conjugates enhance activity against Influenza via cross-linking viruses
In mice, a three-armed flu drug clumped viruses together and beat existing long-acting drugs.
Xun Feng, Lunzhi Yuan et al.
Scientists built a new kind of flu drug by attaching three copies of an antiviral molecule to one carrier protein. This three-armed design makes the drug grip flu virus particles from several sides at once, clumping viruses together. In mice with different flu strains, including bird flu, this clumped version worked better and lasted longer than older long-acting flu drugs. The study shows that how many copies of the drug you attach changes how the drug fights the virus.
Shown in mice infected with several flu strains, including bird flu, not yet tested in humans.
Mouse study only, no human data yet.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 4 October 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Communications). Read the source
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