Famciclovir
Famciclovir
Famciclovir (pronounced: fam-SYE-klo-veer) is an antiviral medication used to treat infections caused by certain types of viruses. It is a prodrug form of penciclovir with improved oral bioavailability.
Etymology
The name "Famciclovir" is derived from its parent drug, "penciclovir", with the prefix "fam-" indicating its prodrug status.
Usage
Famciclovir is used to treat outbreaks of herpes simplex on the skin (mouth, genitals), outbreaks of herpes zoster (shingles), and to help lessen the pain associated with shingles. It is also used to treat repeat outbreaks of herpes virus cold sores and fever blisters in people with a normal immune system.
Mechanism of Action
Famciclovir is a prodrug that is converted to penciclovir in the body. The conversion occurs first by cleavage of the ester linkage to yield penciclovir and aldehydes by aldehyde oxidase, and not by cytochrome P450 enzymes. Penciclovir is then converted to its active form, penciclovir triphosphate, which inhibits viral DNA replication by competing with deoxyguanosine triphosphate for viral DNA polymerase and by causing DNA chain termination.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Famciclovir
- Wikipedia's article - Famciclovir
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski