Antiviral Agents

Abstract

There are five classes of antiviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1): nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs/NtRTIs), nonucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors (PIs), entry/fusion inhibitors, and integrase strand transfer inhibitors. PIs are commonly used in combined antiretroviral therapy regimens in combination with NRTI and/or NtRTIs for maximum antiretroviral activity and to minimize the development of resistance. Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors a class of antiretroviral drugs, target the HIV‐1 integrase enzyme that mediates transfer of the reverse‐transcribed HIV‐1 DNA into the host chromosome. The common target for antiviral drugs active against both viruses is the reverse transcriptase function of the HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication enzymes. Chronic HBV infection plays an important role in the morbidity and mortality of HIV‐infected patients. Most of the antiviral compounds that are approved to treat the eight human herpesviruses are nucleoside or nucleotide analogues, which inhibit DNA replication.