Acyclovirs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A category of antiviral medications used primarily to treat infections caused by certain viruses, particularly herpes viruses
2. A class of drugs that inhibit viral replication, helping to manage symptoms of viral infections and reduce the frequency of outbreaks
3. These therapeutic agents function by interfering with the viral DNA synthesis, thereby limiting the spread of viral infections in the body

Etymology: Acyclovirs is simply the plural of acyclovir, the name of a drug used against herpes viruses. The singular is a pharmaceutical coinage, built from parts that each carry a specific meaning: "acyclo-" points to the acyclic (open-chain) sugar-like ring structure the compound is modified from, and "-vir" marks it as an antiviral agent, the same ending seen in names like valacyclovir and famciclovir. The plural form is used when speaking of several such drugs or several doses, which is common in pharmacology writing.

Synonyms: antivirals, acyclovir medications, herpes treatments, antiviral drugs, medications