Enzymatic synthesis and antiviral ativity of 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro-ribavirin

2′-Deoxy-2′-fluoro-ribavirin has been efficiently synthesised from 2′-deoxy-2′-fluorouridine using nucleoside transferase as the key step, and evaluated for its antiviral properties in cell culture. An efficient synthesis of 3,5-di-O-p-chlorobenzoyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-β-D-ribofuranose is also described.