Artemisinin-derived monomers and artemisinin dimers are shown to exhibit in-vitro anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) activity. Artemisinin dimers effectively inhibited CMV replication in human foreskin fibroblasts and human embryonic lung fibroblasts with no cytotoxicity at concentrations required for complete CMV inhibition. Artemisinin dimers were found to be potent and non-cytotoxic inhibitors of CMV replication, which indicates their use as therapeutic agents for the treatment of CMV infection in humans.
