Antiretroviral agents/therapy classes

Although virologic failures have been uncommon in clinical trials of raltegravir to date, in vitro resistance requires only a single point mutation (eg, at codons 148 or 155). The low genetic barrier to resistance emphasizes the importance of combination therapies and of adherence. Integrase mutations are not expected to affect sensitivity to other classes of antiretroviral agents. 

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) is the use of antiretroviral medications designed to slow or inhibit reverse transcriptase and protease enzymes which replicate HIV. The patient must adhere to HAART therapy or the vims becomes resistant and the antiretroviral agents lose their therapeutic effect. There are four classes of medication approved by the FDA for treatment of HIV NNRTI, NRTI, PI, and Fusion Inhibitors. 

The development of antiretroviral therapy has been a major challenge since the discovery of the human inununodeficiency virus (HIV). Early successes with nucleoside and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors, as well as the development of protease inhibitors have facilitated, in recent years, a highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), where a combination of drugs is simultaneously administered. In spite of significant improvements in the morbidity and mortality of HIV-infected patients, the rapid appearance of resistant HIV-variants, as well as adverse effects and high cost of contemporary drugs necessitate the continuous development of independent classes of anti-HIV agents. ... 

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