<p>Trifluridine is a fluorinated pyrimidine nucleoside analog which interferes with DNA synthesis of herpes simplex virus, type 1 and 2 and vaccinia virus. It stops replication of herpes viral DNA in 3 ways:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Competitive inhibition of viral DNA polymerase,</li>
	<li>Incorporation into and termination of the growing viral DNA chain and</li>
	<li>Inactivation of the viral DNA polymerase.</li>
</ol>