The present invention relates to dideoxynucleoside analog compounds containing
a dideoxy ribofuranosyl moiety that exhibit selective anti-viral activity coupled
with substantially low toxicity toward the host cells. In particular, the compounds
according to the present invention show potent inhibition of the replication of
the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), while remaining substantially inert toward
host cell DNA. Compounds according to the present invention exhibit primary utility
as agents for inhibiting the growth or replication of retroviruses, particularly
HIV. The compounds of the invention comprise a (2,3-dideoxy--ribofuranosyl)
ring coupled to a heterocyclic nucleobase that lacks an "O2 carbonyl", that enables
them to selectively react with and inhibit viral reverse transcriptase, while remaining
substantially unreactive toward human DNA polymerases.
