Acyclovir
Acyclovir
Definition
A synthetic analog of the purine nucleoside, guanosine, with potent antiviral activity against herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus and other viruses of the herpesvirus family. After conversion in vivo to the active metabolite acyclovir triphosphate by viral thymidine kinase, acyclovir competitively inhibits viral DNA polymerase by incorporating into the growing viral DNA chain and terminating further polymerization.
Also known as 2-Amino-1,9-dihydro-9-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-6H-purin-6-one, 9-[(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-methyl]guanine, 9-[(2-Hydroxyethoxy)methyl]guanine, Acicloftal, Aciclovir, Aclovir, ACV, Acycloguanosine, ACYCLOVIR, BW-248U, Cargosil, Virorax, Wellcome-248U, Zovirax — per NCIT
Also identified as
- ATC D06BB per NCIT
- ATC J05AB per NCIT
- ATC S01AD per NCIT
- NCIT NCIT:C205 per NCIT
Indications
| Disease | Relation | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Chickenpox | may prevent | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Cytomegalovirus infection | may prevent | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Herpes simplex infectious disease | may prevent | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Herpes zoster | may prevent | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Chickenpox | may treat | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Epstein-Barr virus infection | may treat | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Genital herpes | may treat | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Herpes labialis | may treat | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Herpes simplex encephalitis | may treat | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
| Ophthalmic herpes zoster | may treat | MEDRT · Public domain (U.S. Government work) |
Organ Effects
| Organ | Side effect / interaction | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | may treat a disease of this organ | DERIVED · CC BY 4.0 |
| Central nervous system | may treat a disease of this organ | DERIVED · CC BY 4.0 |
| Craniocervical region | may treat a disease of this organ | DERIVED · CC BY 4.0 |
| Nervous system | may treat a disease of this organ | DERIVED · CC BY 4.0 |
4 entries above are marked DERIVED: Atlas Médico inferred them by combining two sourced claims, and no source asserts these links directly. Treat them as a navigation aid, not as a clinical statement.