Antiretroviral drug

AIDS patients are often prescribed a combination of drugs that attack HIV at differing stages in its life cycle. These are known as antiretroviral drugs. They are given in various combinations to prevent the development of viral resistance. They include:

• Reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) inhibit activity of reverse transcriptase, an enzyme HIV needs to reproduce. Lack of this enzyme prevents HIV from building RNA and DNA. They come in three forms:
  • Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)
    • delavirdine[?]: also called Rescriptor
    • efavirenz[?]: also called Sustiva
    • nevirapine[?]: also called Viramune
  • Nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NARTIs) or (NRTIs)
    • zidovudine: also called AZT, ZDV, zidovudine, azidothymidine, Retrovir
    • didanosine[?]: also called didanosine, DDI, Videx
    • zalcitabine[?]: also called ddC, dideoxycytidine, Hivid
    • lamivudine[?]: also called Epivir, 3TC
    • stavudine[?]: also called Zerit
    • abacavir[?]: also called ABC, Ziagen
    • stavudine[?]: also called d4T, Zerit
    • adefovir[?]: also called Preveon
    • coviracil[?]: also called emtricabine (not yet FDA approved)
  • Nucleotide analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NtARTIs) or (NtRTIs)
    • tenofovir[?]: also called Viread, Tenofovir DF, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate
• Protease inhibitors (PIs), which inhibit activity of protease, an enzyme used directly by HIV, and so prevent virus replication.
  • • amprenavir[?], also called Agenerase
    • tipranavir[?] (not yet FDA approved)
    • indinavir[?]: also called Crixivan
    • nelfinavir[?]: also called Viracept
    • ritonavir[?]: also called Norvir
    • saquinavir[?]: also called Fortovase, Invirase
    • Kaletra[?]: a fixed combination of protease inhibitors, with lopinavir included for its protease inhibition and ritonavir included to boost serum levels of lopinavir
• Fusion inhibitors inhibit fusion of HIV with the cell membrane, preventing infection of uninfected cells
  • • enfuvirtide: also called Fuzeon, T-20. available only in injectable form.
• Fixed Combinations:
  • • Trizizir = ABC + AZT + 3TC
    • Combivir = AZT + 3TC

External Links

• Drug Chart (http://www.aidsmeds.com/lessons/DrugChart.htm)
• Further drug information (http://www.aidsmeds.com/)
• NIH web site (http://www.AIDSinfo.nih.gov/)