Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: ACYCLOVIR versus VISTIDE.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: ACYCLOVIR versus VISTIDE.
ACYCLOVIR vs VISTIDE
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Acyclovir is a synthetic nucleoside analog that inhibits viral DNA replication. It is phosphorylated to acyclovir monophosphate by viral thymidine kinase, then converted to acyclovir triphosphate by cellular kinases. Acyclovir triphosphate competes with deoxyguanosine triphosphate for viral DNA polymerase, incorporating into viral DNA and causing chain termination.
Cidofovir is a nucleotide analogue that inhibits viral DNA polymerase by incorporating into viral DNA and causing chain termination, with selectivity for cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA polymerase.
400 mg orally twice daily for herpes zoster; 200 mg orally 5 times daily for genital herpes; 5-10 mg/kg intravenously every 8 hours for severe infections.
5 mg/kg intravenously once weekly for 2 consecutive weeks, then every other week thereafter.
None Documented
None Documented
Clinical Note
moderateAcyclovir + Teriflunomide
"The serum concentration of Teriflunomide can be increased when it is combined with Acyclovir."
Clinical Note
moderateTizanidine + Acyclovir
"The serum concentration of Acyclovir can be increased when it is combined with Tizanidine."
Terminal elimination half-life is 2.5–3.3 hours in adults with normal renal function; increases to 19.5 hours in anuria.
Terminal elimination half-life is approximately 1.5-2 hours in patients with normal renal function. In patients with renal impairment, the half-life can extend to 5-10 hours or longer, necessitating dose adjustment based on creatinine clearance.
Renal excretion of unchanged drug via glomerular filtration and tubular secretion accounts for 62-90% of elimination. Fecal elimination is <2%.
Primarily renal excretion via glomerular filtration and active tubular secretion. Approximately 90-95% of the dose is excreted unchanged in the urine within 24 hours. Biliary/fecal excretion accounts for <5%.
Category A/B
Category C
Antiviral
Antiviral