Disease relevance of DESCICLOVIR

• 6- Deoxyacyclovir and the major products of its oxidation by aldehyde oxidase lacked appreciable activity against herpes simplex type I in vitro [1].
• A pilot study of BW A515U (6-deoxyacyclovir) in chronic hepatitis B virus infection [2].
• Open study of 2-amino-9-(hydroxyethoxymethyl)-9H-purine (desciclovir) in the treatment of herpes zoster [3].
• Other antiviral agents considered for use in herpesvirus infections include brovavir, penciclovir (and its prodrug famciclovir), desciclovir (a prodrug of acyclovir), bishydroxymethylcyclobutylguanine (BHCG) and, in particular, 1-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)cytosine (HPMPC) [4].
• The histological features of HL were significantly diminished in patients on desciclovir, and cytochemical, in situ hybridization, and ultrastructural studies showed that EBV infection was eliminated or dramatically reduced in the desciclovir group only [5].

High impact information on DESCICLOVIR

• Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of desciclovir, a prodrug of acyclovir, in healthy human volunteers [6].
• Desciclovir permeation of the human erythrocyte membrane by nonfacilitated diffusion [7].
• In all eight patients receiving desciclovir, lesions of HL were either completely resolved or significantly reduced during the treatment period, whereas lesions in patients receiving placebo showed no change [5].
• Efficacy of desciclovir in the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus infection in oral hairy leukoplakia [5].
• The intense fluorescence of 6-deoxyacyclovir makes it a convenient fluorescent substrate for xanthine oxidase, although less sensitive than xanthine; it is shown that 2-aminopurine would be a very sensitive fluorescent substrate [8].

Associations of DESCICLOVIR with other chemical compounds

• On the basis of these results, it was apparent that the success of 6- deoxyacyclovir as a prodrug in vivo would depend upon how well its desired activation by xanthine oxidase competed with the nonactivating oxidations by aldehyde oxidase [1].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of DESCICLOVIR

• A direct radioimmunoassay for the detection of desciclovir (DCV)(2) in biological fluids has been developed [9].
• There were no double blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCT) for topical treatment of OHL, and only one RCT for systemic treatment of the lesion with desciclovir [10].

References