Ribavirin: Difference between revisions
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Ribavirin was first synthesized in 1970 by ICN Pharmaceuticals (now “Valent International Pharmaceuticals”). In 1986, its first major use was the treatment of RSV (respiratory syncitial virus) infections in pediatric patients, but since its FDA approval in 1998, it has primarily been used as a component in treating Hepatitis C by inhibiting the synthesis of viral RNA. <ref>https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/37542<ref> The treatment was modified and approved in 2002 by the FDA by combining it with interferon alfa2b. <ref name="gish"/> | Ribavirin was first synthesized in 1970 by ICN Pharmaceuticals (now “Valent International Pharmaceuticals”). In 1986, its first major use was the treatment of RSV (respiratory syncitial virus) infections in pediatric patients, but since its FDA approval in 1998, it has primarily been used as a component in treating Hepatitis C by inhibiting the synthesis of viral RNA. <ref>https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/37542<ref> The treatment was modified and approved in 2002 by the FDA by combining it with interferon alfa2b. <ref name="gish"/> | ||
== Structure & Function == | |||
While the main function of Ribavirin is to treat Hepatitis C and RSV, Ribavirin alone is not enough to treat these diseases and is commonly combined with interferon alpha2b<ref name="gish"/> . Ribavirin contains antiviral activity which inhibits DNA/RNA synthesis. It is chemically classified as a nucleoside analogy because the structure of Ribavirin resembles the structure of the nucleoside guanosine. <ref>https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/37542<ref> Like guanosine, ribavirin is also water soluble and is able to mimic other purines (other than guanosine) as well. However, a key difference between the structure of ribavirin and the purine nucleosides is that the heterocyclic base contains only one ring, as opposed to purines which have two. Despite this, it is able to go through similar mechanisms as that of nucleosides such as phosphorylating into a triphosphate. Its structural similarity to the common nucleoside guanosine may suggest how the drug can inhibit DNA/RNA synthesis through purine mimicry. <ref name="structure"> doi: 10.3851/IMP2125 </ref> | |||
== Structure & Function == | == Structure & Function == | ||
