ganciclovir · Medicine question

How does ganciclovir inhibit viral DNA synthesis?

iatroX medicinesPublished 8 November 2026

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Ganciclovir is phosphorylated mainly in infected cells to ganciclovir-triphosphate, which competitively inhibits viral DNA polymerases and incorporates directly into viral DNA, stopping its elongation.

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VirganThea Pharmaceuticals Ltd · emc · SmPC §5.1 Pharmacodynamic properties · Version 9Document updated 16 February 2024

Sources checked 8 November 2026

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