It is used to treat different herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. Penciclovir, a nucleoside analog with minimal toxicity and strong selectivity, is used in drug development. The oral medication famciclovir has an active metabolite called penciclovir. The prolonged intracellular half-life of penciclovir in HSV-infected cells may be the cause of the better outcomes seen with topical penciclovir compared to topical acyclovir for the treatment of herpes labialis. Viral DNA polymerase is inhibited by the drug's activation. This makes it difficult for the virus to reproduce inside the cell.
References
Leary, Jeffry J., et al. “Susceptibilities of Herpes Simplex Viruses to Penciclovir and Acyclovir in Eight Cell Lines.†Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, vol. 46, no. 3, Mar. 2002, pp. 762–68, https://doi.org/10.1128/aac.46.3.762-768.2002. ‌
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