Ribavirin Mechanism

The mechanism for the antiviral activity of ribavirin is unclear and may differ for different types of viruses.

Ribavirin mechanism. Ribavirin is in fact a broad spectrum antiviral agent that inhibits a wide range of rna and dna viruses. Ribavirin is in fact a broad spectrum antiviral agent that inhibits a wide range of rna and dna viruses. The mechanism by which ribavirin contributes to its antiviral efficacy in the clinic is not fully understood. The mechanism for the antiviral activity of ribavirin is unclear and may differ for different types of viruses.

The mechanism of action of ribavirin has been studied for decades. It is on the world health organization s list of essential medicines the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. Other impdh inhibitors have failed to demonstrate antiviral activity in vivo against hcv either alone or in combination with ribavirin. 53 the lethal mutagenesis hypothesis is frequently cited as the mechanism of action of ribavirin but human studies have been contradictory in detection of this effect.

Ribavirin has direct antiviral activity in tissue culture against many rna viruses. Ribavirin was patented in 1971 and approved for medical use in 1986. However it is generally thought that ribavirin therapy alters cellular nucleotide pools thereby affecting viral mrna synthesis. Ribavirin increases the mutation frequency in the genomes of several rna viruses and ribavirin triphosphate inhibits hcv polymerase in a biochemical reaction.

Shortly after the discovery in 1972 it was suggested that the antiviral activity of this drug is achieved is through inhibition. The mechanism of action of ribavirin is not entirely clear.