Isoprinosine: an overview.

Isoprinosine appears to have a relatively low degree of both acute and chronic toxicity in both rodent and nonrodent species. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that isoprinosine can inhibit the growth of both DNA and RNA viruses as well as potentiate cell-mediated immune response both in vitro and in vivo. Clinical studies with rhinovirus, herpesvirus, and influenza virus infections in man demonstrated that isoprinosine treatment reduced clinical symptoms and enhanced certain cell-mediated immune responses compared to placebo-treated controls.