Ron Domainer
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Zidovudine (ZDV), also known as azidothymidine (AZT), is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.[2]
It is of the nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) class. AZT inhibits the enzyme (reverse transcriptase) that HIV uses to synthesize DNA, thus preventing viral DNA from forming.
AZT was the first U.S. government-approved treatment for HIV, marketed under the brand nameRetrovir. AZT was the first breakthrough in AIDS therapy, significantly reducing the replication of the virus and leading to clinical and immunologic improvements.[3] It can also be used to prevent HIV transmission, such as from mother to child during the period of birth or after a needle stick injury. Used by itself in HIV-infected patients, AZT slows HIV replication in patients, but does not stop it entirely.[4] HIV may become AZT-resistant over time, and therefore AZT is now usually used in conjunction with other anti-HIV drugs in the combination therapy called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). AZT is included in Combivir and Trizivir, and is included in theWorld Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines, which suggests the minimum medicinal needs for a basic health care system.
It is of the nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) class. AZT inhibits the enzyme (reverse transcriptase) that HIV uses to synthesize DNA, thus preventing viral DNA from forming.
AZT was the first U.S. government-approved treatment for HIV, marketed under the brand nameRetrovir. AZT was the first breakthrough in AIDS therapy, significantly reducing the replication of the virus and leading to clinical and immunologic improvements.[3] It can also be used to prevent HIV transmission, such as from mother to child during the period of birth or after a needle stick injury. Used by itself in HIV-infected patients, AZT slows HIV replication in patients, but does not stop it entirely.[4] HIV may become AZT-resistant over time, and therefore AZT is now usually used in conjunction with other anti-HIV drugs in the combination therapy called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). AZT is included in Combivir and Trizivir, and is included in theWorld Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines, which suggests the minimum medicinal needs for a basic health care system.
