Improved oral bioavailability allows higher acyclovir exposure at lower dosing frequency.
Valacyclovir is a prodrug converted to acyclovir. Viral thymidine kinase phosphorylates acyclovir to the monophosphate, which is further phosphorylated by host enzymes to the active triphosphate that competitively inhibits viral DNA polymerase and terminates DNA chain elongation.
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