A synthetic acyclic purine nucleoside analog used as an antiviral agent in the treatment of genital herpes; the sodium salt is used for parenteral therapy. SYN: acycloguanosine.
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acy·clo·vir .ā-'sī-klō-.vir n a cyclic nucleoside C8H11N5O3 used esp. to treat shingles, genital herpes, and chicken pox see ZOVIRAX
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n.
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acy·clo·vir (a-siґklo-vēr) [USP] a synthetic acyclic purine nucleoside with selective antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus (types 1 and 2, human herpesvirus 3, Epstein-Barr virus, and cytomegalovirus). It is used in the treatment of genital and mucocutaneous herpesvirus infections in certain patients, both immunocompromised and nonimmunocompromised; administered orally or topically.Medical dictionary. 2011.