A new broad spectrum antiviral drug called LJ001 targets the lipid membrane of viruses, which it can damage irreversibly. In contrast to current antivirals, LJ001 works against a wide range of viruses regardless of type or mutations. It has shown effectiveness in mice against Ebola and Rift Valley fever virus. LJ001 offers the potential for a single treatment against multiple existing and future viruses by attacking a fundamental property of viral cells.