Ganciclovir: Usage, Side Effects, and More

Ganciclovir is an antiviral medication often used to treat infections caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV) in immunocompromised individuals.
Category
Drug
Where to get
Available by prescription at pharmacies.
Applicable for
Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Ganciclovir FAQ

How does ganciclovir work?

Ganciclovir is in a class of medications called antivirals. It works by preventing the spread of CMV disease or slowing the growth of CMV. How should this medicine be used? Ganciclovir comes as a capsule to take by mouth.

When was ganciclovir invented?

Ganciclovir was patented in 1980 and approved for medical use in 1988; it was discovered by Dr Hoong-Wei Gan . It is also used for acute CMV colitis in HIV/AIDS and CMV pneumonitis in immunosuppressed patients. [medical citation needed]

Is Ganciclovir a cytotoxic drug?

Ganciclovir is considered a potential human carcinogen, teratogen, and mutagen. It is also considered likely to cause inhibition of spermatogenesis. Thus, it is used judiciously and handled as a cytotoxic drug in the clinical setting.

How is ganciclovir metabolized?

This inhibition includes a selective and potent inhibition of the viral DNA polymerase. Ganciclovir is metabolized to the triphosphate form by primarily three cellular enzymes: (1) a deoxyguanosine kinase induced by CMV-infected cells; (2) guanylate kinase; and (3) phosphoglycerate kinase.

Ganciclovir References

If you want to know more about Ganciclovir, consider exploring links below:

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