Trifluridine
Encyclopedia
Trifluridine is an anti-herpesvirus antiviral drug
, used primarily on the eye
. It was sold under the trade name, Viroptic, by Glaxo Wellcome, now merged into GlaxoSmithKline
. The brand is now owned by Monarch Pharmaceuticals, which is wholly owned by King Pharmaceuticals
.
It is a nucleoside analogue, a modified form of deoxyuridine
, similar enough to be incorporated into viral DNA replication
, but the -CF3 group added to the uracil
component blocks base pair
ing.
Antiviral drug
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections. Like antibiotics for bacteria, specific antivirals are used for specific viruses...
, used primarily on the eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
. It was sold under the trade name, Viroptic, by Glaxo Wellcome, now merged into GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
. The brand is now owned by Monarch Pharmaceuticals, which is wholly owned by King Pharmaceuticals
King Pharmaceuticals
King Pharmaceuticals , was the world's 39th largest pharmaceutical company, based in Bristol, Tennessee. However, on October 12, 2010, King was acquired by Pfizer for $14.25 per share. King produced a wide range of pharmaceuticals, including Altace for heart attack prevention, Levoxyl for...
.
It is a nucleoside analogue, a modified form of deoxyuridine
Deoxyuridine
Deoxyuridine is a compound and a nucleoside. It is similar in chemical structure to uridine, but without the 2'-hydroxyl group.Idoxuridine and Trifluridine are variants of deoxyuridine used as antiviral drugs...
, similar enough to be incorporated into viral DNA replication
DNA replication
DNA replication is a biological process that occurs in all living organisms and copies their DNA; it is the basis for biological inheritance. The process starts with one double-stranded DNA molecule and produces two identical copies of the molecule...
, but the -CF3 group added to the uracil
Uracil
Uracil is one of the four nucleobases in the nucleic acid of RNA that are represented by the letters A, G, C and U. The others are adenine, cytosine, and guanine. In RNA, uracil binds to adenine via two hydrogen bonds. In DNA, the uracil nucleobase is replaced by thymine.Uracil is a common and...
component blocks base pair
Base pair
In molecular biology and genetics, the linking between two nitrogenous bases on opposite complementary DNA or certain types of RNA strands that are connected via hydrogen bonds is called a base pair...
ing.