Classification of Antiviral Agents

CLASSIFICATION

Classification According to its Mechanism of Action

Antiviral drugs may be classified on the basis of its mechanism of action as follows:

I. Nucleoside RT inhibitors

a. Purine nucleosides and nucleotides

b. Pyrimidine nucleosides and nucleotides

c. Thiosemicarbazones

d. Adamantane amines

II. Non-nucleoside RT inhibitors

III. HIV protease inhibitors

a. Saquinavir

b. Indinavir

c. Ritonavir

d. Nelfinavir

IV. Miscellaneous

Classification According to the Enzyme Inhibiton

According to the enzyme inhibition, antiviral agents are classified as follows.

i.DNA polymerase inhibitors: Idoxuridine, Trifluridine, Vidarabine

ii. RT inhibitors:

Classification According to the Treatment Protocol

According to the treatment protocol antiviral agents are classified as follows:

I.            Treatment of respiratory virus infection

Adamantane derivatives: Amantadine, Rimantadine

II.     Treatment of herpes and cytomegalo viruses infection.

a.   Purine nucleotides: Acyclovir, Ganciclovir, Vidarabine.

b.          Pyrimidine nucleosides: Trifluouridine, Idoxuridine.

c.           Phosphorus derivatives: Foscarnet sodium.

III.        Treatment of HIV infections

a.           RT inhibition.

1.           Purine derivatives: Didanosine.

2.           Pyrimidine derivative: Zidovudine, Stavudine.

3.           Non-nucleosides: Nevirapine, Delaviridine, Efavirenz.

b.          Protease inhibition: Saquinavir, Indinavir, Ritonavir, Nelfinavir, Amprenavir, Lopinavir.

c.           Integration inhibition: Zintevir.