HIV relies on the host cell it injects itself into to continue the cycle. By implicating road blocks in this process through protease inhibitors, there is a possibility of halting the replication and spread of the HIV virus.
HIV relies on the host cell it injects itself into to continue the cycle. By implicating road blocks in this process through protease inhibitors, there is a possibility of halting the replication and spread of the HIV virus.
7 Steps of the HIV Life Cycle:
How to stop the replication cycle?
There are 6 drug classes available to treat HIV through the interruption of the HIV cycle. They include the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), fusion and entry inhibitors, pharmacokinetic enhancers, and integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). The Protease Inhibitor class of drugs affects the last step of the cycle, hindering the maturation of the virus by not breaking up the protein chains into its infectious form. Interrupting this last step can potentially stop the virus' replication. Learn more about using protease inhibitors against viruses here.FDA-Approved Protease HIV Medicines
Protease Inhibitors (PIs) block HIV protease | |||
Atazanavir (atazanavir sulfate, ATV) | Reyataz | June 20, 2003 | |
Darunavir (darunavir ethanolate, DRV) | Prezista | June 23, 2006 | |
Fosamprenavir (fosamprenavir calcium, FOS-APV, FPV) | Lexiva | October 20, 2003 | |
Indinavir (indinavir sulfate, IDV) | Crixivan | March 13, 1996 | |
Nelfinavir (nelfinavir mesylate, NFV) | Viracept | March 14, 1997 | |
Ritonavir (RTV) | Norvir | March 1, 1996 | |
Saquinavir (saquinavir mesylate, SQV) | Invirase | December 6, 1995 | |
Tipranavir (TPV) | Aptivus | June 22, 2005 |
Additional Reading
- Protease Inhibitors: Killing Viral Replication
- Protease Inhibitors for COVID-19 Rapid Testing
- Amphotericin B for Viral Disease Research