health

Several drug companies are working on antiviral drugs that might help
people recover from colds more rapidly. One such drug is being tested
in an oral form while a second drug is being developed that would be
applied as a nasal spray. One limitation of these drugs, however, is that
they would work only against cold viruses belonging to one of the eight
groups known to cause the common cold.
The development of an effective vaccine against colds is considered
unlikely. One reason is the sheer number of viruses known to cause
colds. Another reason is that these viruses mutate (change their DNA)
very rapidly; thus any vaccine that might be developed would be outdated
by the time it entered clinical trials, let alone be approved for use.