Antiviral drugs, as the name suggests, are a class of medication used specifically for the treatment of viral infections. They are basically designed to identify and disable viral proteins. Normally the target proteins chosen are specific to viral particles and are not host-specific.
Nucleosides are composed of a nucleic acid and a sugar moiety. Nucleoside analogues are synthetic nucleosides that are synthesized to mimic natural nucleosides. They are widely used as therapeutic agents, especially as antiviral drugs.
The first antiviral drug is a guanosine analogue, commonly known as acyclovir/acyclovir (ACV). It is used in the treatment of herpes simplex virus infections, chicken pox, and Epstein-Barr virus infections. It can be administered orally or intravenously.
The second antiviral drug is known as cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside). As the name suggests, it is a cytosine derivative. It is mainly used as a chemotherapy agent for various kinds of leukemia.
The third antiviral drug is known as azidothymidine (AZT). It is a thymidine analogue. It is an antiretroviral medication used in the treatment of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).