Trifluridine
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Trifluridine (also called trifluorothymidine or TFT) is an anti-herpesvirus antiviral drug, used primarily on the eye. It was sold under the trade name, Viroptic, by Glaxo Wellcome, now merged into GlaxoSmithKline. The brand is now owned by Monarch Pharmaceuticals, which is wholly owned by King Pharmaceuticals.
It is a nucleoside analogue, a modified form of deoxyuridine, similar enough to be incorporated into viral DNA replication, but the -CF3 group added to the uracil component blocks base pairing.
It is a component of the experimental anti-cancer drug TAS-102.
Category
Antiviral
US Brand Names
VIROPTIC®(Zelitrex)
FDA Package Insert
Description | Clinical Pharmacology | Indications and Usage | Contraindications | Warnings and Precautions | Adverse Reactions | Overdosage | Clinical Studies | Dosage and Administration | How Supplied | Labels and Packages
Mechanism of Action
Trifluridine interferes with DNA synthesis in cultured mammalian cells. However, its antiviral mechanism of action is not completely known.