Anti-HIV drugs: 25 compounds approved within 25 years after the discovery of HIV.
In 2008, 25 years after the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was discovered as the then tentative aetiological agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), exactly 25 anti-HIV compounds have been formally approved for clinical use in the treatment of AIDS. These compounds fall into six categories: nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs: zidovudine, didanosine, zalcitabine, stavudine, lamivudine, abacavir and emtricitabine); nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NtRTIs: tenofovir); non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs: nevirapine, delavirdine, efavirenz and etravirine); protease inhibitors (PIs: saquinavir, ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, amprenavir, lopinavir, atazanavir, fosamprenavir, tipranavir and darunavir); cell entry inhibitors [fusion inhibitors (FIs: enfuvirtide) and co-receptor inhibitors (CRIs: maraviroc)]; and integrase inhibitors (INIs: raltegravir). These compounds should be used in drug combination regimens to achieve the highest possible benefit, tolerability and compliance and to diminish the risk of resistance development.
De Clercq
Erik
E
Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. erik.declercq@rega.kuleuven.be
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000266:history* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents