Anti-Viral and Anti-Fungal Agents Overview

Flashcards covering important antiviral and antifungal agents, their mechanisms of action, clinical uses, pharmacokinetics, and toxicities.

Acyclovir (Sitavig)

A guanosine analog active against HSV-1, HSV-2, and Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV); works as a competitive inhibitor for DNA polymerase.

Ganciclovir (Cytovene)

A guanine derivative that inhibits DNA polymerases of CMV and HSV by incorporating into the host DNA strand.

Cidofovir (Vistide)

A prodrug of Cidofovir that is easier to incorporate into viral DNA; active against CMV and HSV among others.

Foscarnet (Foscovir)

A phosphonoformate derivative that inhibits RNA polymerase, DNA polymerase, and HIV reverse transcriptase without needing phosphorylation.

Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)

Prodrugs that inhibit RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (RdDp); used in anti-retroviral therapy for HIV.

Tenofovir (Viread)

An RT inhibitor with renal elimination that has GI distress and can cause acute renal failure as a significant toxicity.

Protease Inhibitors (PIs)

Designed to target the active site of the viral protease and prevent viral replication; associated with metabolic side effects.

Entry and Fusion Inhibitors

Target the stages of HIV entry into host cells, binding to receptors and preventing viral attachment.

Raltegravir (Isentress)

An integrase strand transfer inhibitor that prevents integration of HIV DNA into host chromosomes.

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)

A neuraminidase inhibitor used against influenza A and B to impede viral spread by preventing release from infected cells.

Amphotericin B

A polyene macrolide that binds ergosterol in fungal cell membranes, causing cell death due to pore formation.

Flucytosine (Ancobon)

A pyrimidine analog that is deaminated to 5-fluorouracil in fungus; inhibits both RNA and DNA synthesis.