Famvir® (famciclovir) contains famciclovir, an orally administered prodrug of the antiviral agent penciclovir. Chemically, famciclovir is known as 2-[2-(2-amino-9H-purin-9-yl)ethyl]- 1,3-propanediol diacetate. Its molecular formula is C₁₄H₁₉N₅0₄; its molecular weight is 321.3. It is a synthetic acyclic guanine derivative and has the following structure

Famciclovir

Famciclovir is a white to pale yellow solid. It is freely soluble in acetone and methanol, and sparingly soluble in ethanol and isopropanol. At 25°C famciclovir is freely soluble ( > 25% w/v) in water initially, but rapidly precipitates as the sparingly soluble (2%-3% w/v) monohydrate. Famciclovir is not hygroscopic below 85% relative humidity. Partition coefficients are: octanol/water (pH 4.8) P=1.09 and octanol/phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) P=2.08.

Tablets for Oral Administration: Each white, film-coated tablet contains famciclovir. The 125-mg and 250-mg tablets are round; the 500-mg tablets are oval. Inactive ingredients consist of hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, lactose, magnesium stearate, polyethylene glycols, sodium starch glycolate and titanium dioxide.

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