Adefovir Dipivoxil Pathway


Adefovir dipivoxil is an ester prodrug of adefovir, a nucleotide analogue used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Adefovir dipivoxil is taken up into the liver cell and is cleaved into adefovir by intracellular esterases. Adefovir is subsequently phosphorylated first by adenylate kinases and then by nucleoside diphosphate kinases into adefovir diphosphate. Adefovir diphosphate is an analogue of deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP) and competes with dATP for binding to the viral DNA polymerase and subsequent incorporation into the growing DNA strand. Once incorporated into the DNA, adefovir causes chain termination, thus preventing viral replication.

Pathway legend Zoom in

Pathway Image

Pathway legend Zoom in

References

  1. Dando, T.M., and Plosker, G.L. (2003). Adefovir dipivoxil: A review of its use in chronic hepatitis B. Drugs, 63(20), 2215-34. PMID: 14498759
  2. Hepsera. (2009). [Electronic version]. e-CPS. Retrieved December 16, 2009.