Anti-retrovirus activity of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA) in vivo increases when it is less frequently administered.

Different treatment schedules have been investigated when evaluating the inhibitory effect of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA) and 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) on the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I) in MT-4 cells, transformation of C3H/3T3 cells by Moloney murine sarcoma virus (MSV), and MSV-induced tumor formation in newborn NMRI mice. Shortening the exposure time of HIV-I-infected MT-4 cells to PMEA or AZT led to an increase in the selectivity index of both compounds. PMEA proved markedly more efficient in suppressing MSV-induced tumor formation in mice when administered as a single dose on the day of infection than when these doses were spread over 2, 4 or 7 administrations within 1 week after the virus infection. This was not observed when the total dose of AZT was fractionated. While the infrequent dosage regimen increased the anti-retrovirus activity of PMEA, it did not increase its toxicity for the host. This unique property makes PMEA an attractive candidate for the treatment of retrovirus infections, including AIDS.