Edoxudine

Edoxudine is an antiviral drug and a thymidine analog primarily effective against herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2. It functions by being phosphorylated by viral thymidine kinase to its monophosphate derivative, which is then further phosphorylated by cellular enzymes to its triphosphate form. This triphosphate derivative acts as a competitive inhibitor of viral DNA polymerase, thereby disrupting viral DNA replication. Edoxudine was developed by McNeil Pharmaceutical and received approval from Health Canada in 1992 for the treatment of human herpes keratitis, a condition caused by HSV infection. However, it was subsequently discontinued from the market in 1998. More recent research suggests that Edoxudine may also possess antibacterial properties, specifically by altering the protective surface of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as *Klebsiella pneumoniae*, making them more susceptible to elimination by immune cells.