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Treatment With Antiretroviral Drugs

Antiretroviral treatment, or ART, is drug treatment for retroviral infections, such as HIV. The antiretroviral drugs are unable to kill the human immunodeficiency virus but can reduce how fast the virus grows. There are several different types of antiretroviral treatments, and each drug will affect the HIV in a different manner.

  1. Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

    • Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are the first class of drugs to attack HIV. These drugs are also called nukes. Nukes block the RNA (HIV genetic code) where it converts to HIV DNA. Examples of nukes include Retrovir, Videx, Ziagen and Emtriva.

    Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

    • Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are like nukes in that they also block the ribonucleic acid where it converts to the HIV DNA. The four approved non-nucleoside reverse transciptaste inhibitor drugs for antiretroviral treatment include Rescriptor, Intelence, Viramune, and Stocrin or Sustiva.

    Protease Inhibitors

    • Protease inhibitors are the third class of antiretroviral treatment drugs. These block the last step of the HIV life cycle. They block the raw materials from being cut by the protease enzyme and prevent the raw materials from assembling into a functioning, mature virus. Ten protease inhibitors have been approved for treatment, and a few of those drugs are Prezista, Lexiva, Norvir and Crixivan.

    Entry Inhibitors

    • Entry inhibitors are the fourth type of antiretroviral treatment drugs. They are newer but not the newest HIV drug on the market. These medications block HIV from attaching to and entering a cell. The two approved entry inhibitor drugs are Fuzeon and Selzentry or Celsentri.

    Integrase Inhibitors

    • Integrase inhibitors are the newest class of antiretroviral drugs. These drugs work by stopping the HIV from inserting the viral genetic code into the code of a normal human cell. An example of an integrase inhibitor drug is Isentress.

    Drug Usage

    • The most common form of antiretroviral treatment is combination therapy. This is when three or more drugs from different class types are used together. Combination therapy may prevent the virus from becoming resistant and also is more effective than using just one antiretroviral drug.

    Drug Resistance

    • HIV mutates when the HIV multiplies and the new copies of the HIV DNA are just a hair different from the first copy of the virus. It is possible for some mutations to continue to multiply despite a patient being on antiretroviral medications. Resistance then occurs, and the drug will not work anymore. The more antiretroviral drugs that are used at one time, the more it may delay the onset of drug resistance, since the HIV mutation would have to work harder and slip by all the drugs instead of just one. It is for this reason that combination therapy is usually recommended for treatment.

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