sodium phenylbutyrate + valganciclovir

A combination therapy consisting of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor sodium phenylbutyrate and the antiviral prodrug valganciclovir. This regimen is being investigated by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, for the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive malignancies, including gastric cancer, head and neck cancer, and various lymphomas. The therapeutic strategy, known as lytic induction therapy, utilizes sodium phenylbutyrate to induce the expression of the EBV thymidine kinase gene in tumor cells. Valganciclovir, which is normally inactive against latent EBV, is then phosphorylated by the newly expressed viral kinase into its active triphosphate form, which inhibits viral DNA polymerase and triggers selective apoptosis within the EBV-infected cancer cells.

Other names

phenylbutyrate + valganciclovir