Acyclovir
drugOn this page
Also known as AciclovirAciclovirumAcyclovir component of xereseAvaclyrAvertAcycloguanosineClearsoreCymex ultraDuvimexGerpevirHerpetadLipsoreLypsylNovirusNSC-645011NSC-758477RanovirSitavigSoothelip
Summary
Acyclovir (CHEMBL184) is an approved small-molecule antiviral drug (ATC J05AB01); indicated across 10 conditions including herpes zoster and chickenpox.
At a glance
- Status: Approved (max clinical phase 4)
- Modality: Small molecule
- ATC class: J05AB01 (+3 more)
- Indications: 10 conditions
- Clinical trials: 92
- Chemistry: 225.2 Da · C8H11N5O3
Identifiers
Drug identity and classification
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ChEMBL ID | CHEMBL184 |
| Name | Acyclovir |
| Type | Small molecule |
| Max phase | 4 |
| FDA approved | yes |
| PubChem CID | 135398513 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:2453 |
| ATC | J05AB01, S01AD03, D06BB53, D06BB03 |
| Molecular formula | C8H11N5O3 |
| Molecular weight | 225.2 |
| InChIKey | MKUXAQIIEYXACX-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
SMILES: C1=NC2=C(N1COCCO)N=C(NC2=O)N
IUPAC name: 2-amino-9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)-1H-purin-6-one
ChEBI definition: An oxopurine that is guanine substituted by a (2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl substituent at position 9. Used in the treatment of viral infections.
Pharmacological roles (ChEBI): antiviral drug.
Other ChEBI roles (chemical / environmental): antimetabolite.
Also known as: Aciclovir, Aciclovirum, Acyclovir, Acyclovir component of xerese, Avaclyr, Avert, Acycloguanosine, Clearsore, Cymex ultra, Duvimex, Gerpevir, Herpetad
Parent form; salt/anhydrous children: CHEMBL1200380
Patent coverage: 27,760 distinct patent families (97,488 SureChEMBL compound mentions), from 3 matched compound structure(s). One matched structure accounts for 83,286 (85%) of the total. Mentions count patents naming the compound (not distinct inventions), so promiscuous / reference molecules inflate the mention figure — families are the dedup metric.
Targets
Targets
Broader ChEMBL bioactivity targets: 11 (assay-derived). Sample: Purine nucleoside phosphorylase, Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 2, ATP-dependent DNA helicase Q1, RecQ-like DNA helicase BLM, 4’-phosphopantetheinyl transferase ffp, Thyrotropin receptor, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A, Endothelin-1 receptor, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase type-2, Hemoglobin subunit beta.
Bioactivity
ChEMBL activities: 6 potent at pChembl ≥ 5 of 14 total. Top 30 by potency (10 = 0.1 nM, 6 = 1 µM):
| Target | pChembl | Type | Value | Unit | Activity ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNP | 7 | Ki | 100 | nM | CHEMBL_ACT_25995000 |
| BLM | 6.3 | Potency | 501.2 | nM | CHEMBL_ACT_4753932 |
| BLM | 6.3 | Potency | 501.2 | nM | CHEMBL_ACT_4945902 |
| RECQL | 6.1 | Potency | 794.3 | nM | CHEMBL_ACT_5056121 |
| HTR2A | 5.47 | AC50 | 3372 | nM | CHEMBL_ACT_25173556 |
| EDNRA | 5.05 | AC50 | 8940 | nM | CHEMBL_ACT_25179111 |
Target pathways
No target-pathway data for this drug (no mapped target genes).
Indications & clinical
Indications
10 indications (8 at ChEMBL trial phase 4). Phase below is the highest clinical-trial phase recorded for this drug against each disease — not the molecule’s overall approval status (that is in the Summary).
| Indication | Trial phase | MONDO | EFO |
|---|---|---|---|
| herpes zoster | 4 | MONDO:0005609 | EFO:0006510 |
| chickenpox | 4 | MONDO:0005700 | EFO:0007204 |
| genital herpes | 4 | MONDO:0005770 | EFO:0007282 |
| viral infectious disease | 4 | MONDO:0005108 | EFO:0000763 |
| herpes labialis | 4 | MONDO:0043653 | EFO:1001347 |
| herpes simplex infectious disease | 4 | MONDO:0004609 | EFO:1002022 |
| eye infectious disorder | 4 | MONDO:0043885 | EFO:1001888 |
| cytomegalovirus infection | 3 | MONDO:0005132 | EFO:0001062 |
| HIV infectious disease | 3 | MONDO:0005109 | EFO:0000764 |
1 further indication record had no mapped disease name (EFO/MeSH-only) or were duplicates, and are omitted.
Clinical trials
Total trials: 92.
Phase distribution
| Phase | Trials |
|---|---|
| PHASE3 | 25 |
| Not specified | 25 |
| PHASE4 | 15 |
| PHASE2 | 10 |
| PHASE1 | 8 |
| PHASE2/PHASE3 | 5 |
| PHASE1/PHASE2 | 4 |
Top trials by phase / activity
| NCT | Phase | Status | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05452928 | PHASE4 | NOT_YET_RECRUITING | Aciclovir Versus Placebo for HSV-2 Meningitis |
| NCT07341386 | PHASE4 | NOT_YET_RECRUITING | Prevention of Recurrence of Herpes Simplex in Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases |
| NCT07448844 | PHASE4 | RECRUITING | Intralesional Therapies For Cutaneous Viral Warts: A Comparative Analysis Of Vitamin D3 And Acyclovir |
| NCT00362297 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | Randomized Trial to Evaluate Suppressive Effect of High-Dose Acyclovir Versus Once-Daily Valacyclovir on Persons With HSV-2 |
| NCT00362596 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | A Randomized Controlled Trial of Acyclovir Among HIV and HSV-2 Co-Infected Women, Chiang Rai, Thailand |
| NCT00467662 | PHASE4 | UNKNOWN | Comparison of Topical Antiviral Agents for Labial Cold Sores (Herpes Labialis) |
| NCT00495716 | PHASE4 | TERMINATED | Effect of HSV-2 Suppressive Therapy on Sexual Behavior |
| NCT00527618 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | Trial to Study the Effect of Dose of Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) Suppressive Therapy on HSV and HIV |
| NCT00723229 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | A Randomized Trial to Evaluated the Suppressive Effect of Acyclovir on Rapidly Cleared HSV-2 Reactivation |
| NCT01026454 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | Valacyclovir vs. Acyclovir as HSV-2 Suppressive Therapy: Effect on Plasma HIV-1 Levels Among HIV-1/HSV-2 Co-infected Persons |
| NCT02151240 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | Efficacy and Safety of Foscarnet Sodium and Sodium Chloride Injection in Patients With Herpes Zoster |
| NCT02152358 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | PTH - Preemptive Treatment for Herpesviridae |
| NCT02205489 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | Management Of The Infusion-Associated Reactions In RRMS Patients Treated With LEMTRADA |
| NCT02255734 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | Bioequivalence of Two Formulations of Acyclovir |
| NCT03831165 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | Melatonin Effects on Genital Herpes in Brazilian Women |
| NCT06134492 | PHASE3 | RECRUITING | Acyclovir in Ventilated Patients With Pneumonia and HSV-1 in BAL |
| NCT00000138 | PHASE3 | UNKNOWN | Herpetic Eye Disease Study (HEDS) I |
| NCT00000139 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Herpetic Eye Disease Study (HEDS) II |
| NCT00000985 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Comparison of Foscarnet Versus Vidarabine in the Treatment of Herpes Infection in Patients With AIDS Who Have Not Had Success With Acyclovir |
| NCT00001038 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | A Study of Valacyclovir Hydrochloride in the Prevention of Life-Threatening Cytomegalovirus Disease in HIV-Infected Patients |
| NCT00002315 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | A Comparison of 882C87 Versus Acyclovir in the Treatment of Herpes Zoster in Patients With Weakened Immune Systems |
| NCT00004757 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Phase III Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of Acyclovir Oral Suspension for Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infection Limited to the Skin, Eyes, and Mouth |
| NCT00006132 | PHASE3 | UNKNOWN | Phase III Randomized Study of Oral Acyclovir in Infants With Herpes Simplex Virus Infection Involving the Central Nervous System |
| NCT00006135 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Phase III Randomized Study of Oral Acyclovir in Infants With Herpes Simplex Virus Infection Limited to Skin, Eyes, and Mouth |
| NCT00031447 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Acyclovir Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Skin, Eye, and Mouth |
| NCT00031460 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Acyclovir for Herpes Infections Involving the Central Nervous System in Neonates |
| NCT00045292 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Valacyclovir in Preventing Cytomegalovirus Infection in Patients Who Are Undergoing Donor Stem Cell Transplantation |
| NCT00076232 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | A Study of Acyclovir to Help Prevent HIV Infection in People With Genital Herpes |
| NCT00164424 | PHASE2/PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Episodic Acyclovir Therapy for Genital Ulcers |
| NCT00194519 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2) Suppression to Prevent HIV Transmission |
| NCT00209313 | PHASE2/PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Usage of Acyclovir for Suppression of HIV-1 and HSV-2 Coinfected Persons in Cameroon |
| NCT00209352 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Long-Term Oral Acyclovir Usage to Prevent Herpes Zoster Virus Infection After Bone Marrow Transplant |
| NCT00330018 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Valganciclovir in Prevention of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Reactivation Following Allogeneic-Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT) |
| NCT00769314 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Phase 3 Clinical Study for the Treatment of Cold Sore |
| NCT01257074 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Non-inferiority Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Penciclovir 10mg/g to Acyclovir 50mg/g in the Treatment of Recurrent Herpes Labialis |
| NCT01281007 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Efficacy of Oral Famciclovir 125mg Comparing to Aciclovir 200 mg Treatment in Patients With Active Recurrent Genital Herpes |
| NCT01327144 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Efficacy of Oral Famciclovir Versus Aciclovir Treatment in Patients With Herpes Zoster |
| NCT01574612 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Open Label Safety Study of Xerese Cream in the Treatment of Recurrent Herpes Labialis in Children 6-11 Years Old |
| NCT01729767 | PHASE2/PHASE3 | UNKNOWN | Efficacy of Antiviral Medications in Controlling Vertigo Attacks of Patients With Meniere’s Disease |
| NCT02265913 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Comparative Safety and Efficacy of Two Antiviral Treatments in the Treatment of Recurrent Herpes Simplex Labialis |
Clinical evidence (CIViC)
No CIViC predictive evidence (expected for non-precision-medicine drugs).
Pharmacology
Pharmacogenomics
No PharmGKB pharmacogenomic data curated for this drug.
Related molecules
Related molecules
No competitor molecules sharing a primary target (ChEMBL phase ≥2 or PubChem drug-class).