Acyclovir
- Administered Intravenously, orally, or topically
- It is commonly used to treat infections caused by
–
Herpes virus 1 and Herpes Virus 2
–
Varicella-zoster virus (the cause of chickenpox)
–
Herpes-zoster virus (the reactivated VZV, and is the cause of shingles)
- Acyclovir is a guanosine analogue
– Inserts acyclo-GTP (acyclovir triphosphate, a derivative of acyclovir) into actively replicating viral chains and stopping their growth
It is activated by virus-encoded thymidine kinase
- At high doses, it can be nephrotoxic and neurotoxic
