Fact Sheets on Antiretroviral Drugs

CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................1
APPROVED ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS ....................................................................3
USE OF ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS ..................................5
ANTIRETROVIRALS INCLUDED IN THE WHO MODEL LIST OF ESSENTIAL
MEDICINES...............................................................................................................6
MODE OF ACTION OF ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS..................................................6
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTI) and Nucleotide Reverse
Transcriptase Inhibitors (NtRTI).........................................................................6
Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTI) ................................6
Protease Inhibitors (PI)......................................................................................7
CHOICE OF ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS ...................................................................7
VIRAL RESISTANCE TO ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS ..................................................8
REASONS FOR AND INTERPRETATION OF DRUG INTERACTIONS .......................9
DOSAGE .................................................................................................................10
DRUG HALF-LIFE....................................................................................................10
USE OF ANTIRETROVIRALS IN SUBJECTS WITH TUBERCULOSIS ........................11
INTERPRETATION OF DRUG-RELATED SIDE EFFECTS...........................................12
NUCLEOSIDE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS (NRTIs) ..............................18
Abacavir (ABC) ...............................................................................................18
Didanosine (DDI) ...........................................................................................20
Lamivudine (3TC) ...........................................................................................22
Stavudine (D4T)..............................................................................................24
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