Pharmacotherapeutic group: Other antivirals, ATC code: J05AX05
Imunovir is a synthetic purine derivative with immunomodulatory and antiviral properties, which result from an apparent
in vivo
enhancement of host immune responses due to the drug.
In clinical studies Imunovir has been shown to normalise (to the patient's baseline) a deficient or dysfunctional cell-mediated immunity by evoking a Th1 type response which initiates T lymphocyte maturation and differentiation and potentiation of induced lymphoproliferative responses, in mitogen or antigen- activated cells. Similarly, the drug has been shown to modulate T lymphocyte and natural killer cell cytotoxicity, T8 suppressor and T4 helper cell functions and also to increase the number of IgG and complement surface markers.
Imunovir increases cytokine IL-1 production and enhances IL-2 production, upregulating the expression of the IL-2 receptor
in vitro
. It significantly increases endogenous IFN -γ secretion and decreases the IL-4 production
in vivo
. It has also been shown to potentiate neutrophil, monocyte and macrophage chemotaxis and phagocytosis.
In vivo
, inosine acedoben dimeparanol enhances potentiation of depressed lymphocytic mRNA protein synthesis and translational ability while inhibiting viral RNA synthesis achieved by yet-to-be-clarified degrees of (1) incorporation of inosine-mediated orotic acid into polyribosomes; (2) inhibition of polyadenylic acid attachment to viral messenger RNA and (3) molecular reorganisation of lymphocyte intramembrane plasma particles (IMP) that results in a nearly threefold increase in density.
Imunovir inhibits cGMP phosphodiesterase only at high concentrations
in vitro
and at levels not involved in the
in vivo
immunopharmacological effects.
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