ribavirin

English

Chemical structure of ribavirin

Etymology

From rib(oside) +‎ -a- +‎ -vir- (“antiviral”) +‎ -in.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɹaɪ.bə.ˈvaɪ.ɹɪn/

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Noun

ribavirin (countable and uncountable, plural ribavirins)

1. (pharmacology) A synthetic analog of guanosine with chemical formula C₈H₁₂N₄O₅ that inhibits viral nucleic acid synthesis and is used as a broad-spectrum antiviral drug especially in the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus infection and chronic hepatitis C.
   • 1988 August 13, Miranda Kolbe, “A PWA Movement of Guerrilla Clinics”, in Gay Community News, volume 16, number 5, page 8:

     Due to the paucity of approved treatments, it should come as no surprise that thousands of PWAs/PWARCs have found it necessary to try some of the more widely available alternative treatments. These include DNCB (a compound applied topically that has been used for Kaposi's sarcoma), ribavirin (an anti-viral treatment) and isoprinosene (an immune enhancer).

Derived terms

• ribavirin monophosphate, RMP
• ribavirin diphosphate, RDP
• ribavirin triphosphate, RTP

References

• “ribavirin”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “ribavirin”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.