Famciclovir

(CC) Image: David E. Volk
Famciclovir

Famciclovir is an antiviral drug used for the treatment of several herpes viruses, especially herpes zoster (shingles). It ia a guanine analog and is a prodrug from of penciclovir. It is also use for the treatment of genital herpes and mucocutaneous herpes in patients with AIDS. It is converted to penciclovir triphosphate, which competes with deoxyguanosine for incorporation into viral DNA.

Its IUPAC chemical name is [2-(acetyloxymethyl)-4-(2-aminopurin-9-yl)butyl] acetate and its chemical formula is C₁₄H₁₉N₅O₄.

External links

• Famciclovir - FDA approved drug information (drug label) from DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
• Drug Bank at http://www.drugbank.ca/cgi-bin/getCard.cgi?CARD=DB00426.txt