Entecavir

(CC) Image: David E. Volk
entecavir
IUPAC name: see chemistry section Synonyms: Baraclude® Formula: C12H15N5O3
Uses:	Hepatitis B
Properties:	guanine analog, polymerase inhibitor
Hazards:	see drug interactions
Mass (g/mol): CAS #: 277.2792 142217-69-4

Entecavir, sold under the brand name Baraclude® is an oral antiviral drug used to treat hepatitis B infection. Entecavir is a guanine analogue that inhibits all three steps in the viral replication process, and the manufacturer claims that it is more efficacious than previous agents used to treat hepatitis B (lamivudine and adefovir). In the triphosphate form, it competes with the natural DNA base deoxyguanosine triphosphate (dGTP) for incorporation into the negative and positive strand DNA synthesis.

Chemistry

Its IUPAC chemical name is 2-amino-9-[(1S,3R,4S)-4-hydroxy-3-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methylidenecyclopentyl]-3H-purin-6-one and it has chemical formula C₁₂H₁₅N₅O₃.

External links

The most up-to-date information about Entecavir and other drugs can be found at the following sites.

• Entecavir - FDA approved drug information (drug label) from DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
• Entecavir - Drug information for consumers from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
• Entecavir - Detailed information from DrugBank.