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Passage

Transition state analogues are compounds that closely resemble the structure of a substrate's transition state in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The study of transition state analogues is a technique used in rational drug design to develop new pharmaceuticals. Oseltamivir is a well-known drug discovered using this technique and is effective in treating influenza. It functions as a competitive inhibitor for the enzyme neuraminidase, preventing neuraminidase from acting on its target substrate, sialic acid. Neuraminidase is typically found on the protein coat of the influenza virus and helps release newly formed viral particles from the host cell, allowing them to infect other cells. By tightly binding to the active site of neuraminidase, Oseltamivir inhibits this process and reduces the infectivity of the influenza virus. Since Oseltamivir is a transition state analogue of sialic acid, its chemical structure closely resembles that of sialic acid.