Umifenovir (Arbidol): Mechanism of Action

Umifenovir, also known as Arbidol, is an antiviral medication used for the treatment and prevention of influenza and other respiratory viral infections. It works by interfering with the viral entry into the host cells.
Category
Drug
Where to get
Prescribed in some countries for influenza treatment.
Applicable for
Influenza | Respiratory Viral Infections
Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Umifenovir FAQ


Image credit: rupharma.com

What is Umifenovir used for?

Umifenovir is an indole-based, hydrophobic, dual-acting direct antiviral/host-targeting agent used for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza and other respiratory infections. 13 It has been in use in Russia for approximately 25 years and in China since 2006.

Is Umifenovir FDA approved?

Umifenovir, sold under the brand name Arbidol, is an antiviral medication for the treatment of influenza and COVID infections used in Russia and China. The drug is manufactured by Pharmstandard ( Russian: Фармстандарт ). It is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment or prevention of influenza.

How does Umifenovir prevent infection?

Umifenovir prevents contact between the virus and target host cells. Fusion between the viral envelope (surrounding the viral capsid) and the cell membrane of the target cell is inhibited. This prevents viral entry to the target cell, and therefore protects it from infection.

What is Umifenovir (arbidol)?

Kanchankumar Patil, in Microbial Pathogenesis, 2022 Umifenovir or Arbidol is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug and is currently licensed in Russia and China for the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza. But it is not yet approved by the FDA.

Can Umifenovir be used as an antiviral drug?

An invitro study illustrated that umifenovir (Arbidol) as an antiviral drug could represent inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV . Umifenovir has been also used against influenza A, B viruses, and other human pathogenic respiratory viruses in Russia and China .

Umifenovir References

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

What Is Umifenovir

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umifenovir
  2. https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB13609
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7361300/
  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/umifenovir
  5. https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-020-05698-w
  6. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jmv.26256
  7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32617989/

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