Synonyms: T-705 | T705
favipiravir is an approved drug (China and Japan)
Compound class:
Synthetic organic
Comment: Favipiravir (T-705) is an orally delivered, guanine (purine) analogue antiviral drug (cf. remdesivir which is administered i.v.). It targets viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) of RNA viruses and since the catalytic domain of RdRP is well conserved across species, has a broad-spectrum of activity; although Furuta et al. (2002) reported that actvity was weak against non-influenza virus RNA viruses [4]. Favipiravir was originally identified through a chemical library screen against influenza virus RdRP [3]. Chemically, it is a prodrug. In human cells it undergoes phosphoribosylation and phosphorylation to its active form, favipiravir-ribofuranosyl-5′-triphosphate (F-RTP). F-RTP is bound by the RdRP, but it blocks enzyme activity and so terminates chain elongation [5-6].
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