Carba-acyclonucleoside antiherpetic agents

Ganciclovir 2 and 2′-carba-ganciclovir 5a are anti-viral agents differing structurally only in the replacement of an oxygen by a methylene group and yet expressing their biological properties along mechanistically independent pathways. Methoxy, hydroxy and fluoro derivatives of 2′-carba-ganciclovir were prepared to examine the effect of re-introducing a binding site close to that in the original oxa side chain. The cyclic phosphate of carba-ganciclovir was also prepared.