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You are here : Home  AIDS Factsheet Medications To Fight HIV Antireteroviral TheraphyAntireteroviral Theraphy
WHAT IS ARV THERAPY? Background Information -What is AIDS? -HIV Testing -Acute HIV Infection -How HIV Drugs Get Approved -HIV Life Cycle Laboratory Tests -Normal Laboratory Values -Complete Blood Count (CBC) -Chemistry Panel -Blood Sugar and Fats -CD4 (T-cell) Tests -Viral Load Tests -HIV Resistance Testing -Monitoring Drug Levels Preventing HIV Infection -Stopping the Spread of HIV -How Risky Is It? -Condoms -Drug Use and HIV -Harm Reduction and HIV -Treatment After Microbicides -Microbicides Living with HIV -Choosing an HIV Care Provider -Medical Appointments -Telling Others You are HIV Positive -Participating in a Clinical Trial -How to Spot HIV/AIDS Fraud -Vaccinations and HIV -Medications to Fight HIV -HIV Life Cycle -Taking Current Antiretroviral Drugs -What Is Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)? -Adherence -Treatment Interruptions -Drug Interactions -Strengthening the Immune System -Immune Therapies in Development -Immune Restoration -Interleukin-2 -Immune Restoration Syndrome -Opportunistic Infections -Opportunistic Infections Side Effects and Their Treatments -Side Effects -Fatigue -Anemia -Body Shape Changes (Lipodystrophy) -Diarrhea -Peripheral Neuropathy -Mitochondrial Toxicity -Bone Problems -Depression and HIV Patient Populations -Women and HIV -Pregnancy and HIV aids -Children and HIV -Older People and HIV Alternative and Complementary Therapies -Alternative and Complementary Therapies -Ayurvedic Medicine -Chinese Acupuncture -Chinese Herbalism -Cat's Claw -DHEA -DNCB (Dinitrochlorobenzene) -Echinacea -Essiac -Marijuana -Silymarin (Milk Thistle) -Nutrition -Nutrition -Vitamins and Minerals -Exercise and HIV -Smoking and HIV
ARV therapy means treating viral infections like HIV with drugs. The drugs do not kill the virus. However, they slow down the growth of the virus. When the virus is slowed down, so is HIV disease. Antiretroviral drugs are referred to as ARV. ARV therapy is referred to as ART.
APPROVED ARV DRUGS Each type, or "class", of ARV drugs attacks HIV in a different way. The first class of anti-HIV drugs was the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, also called "nukes". These drugs work by blocking Step 4, where the HIV genetic material is converted from RNA into DNA. Approved drugs in this class include:
Another class of drugs blocks the same step of the life cycle, but in a different way. This class is the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, or NNRTIs. Three NNRTIs have been approved:
The third class of antiviral drugs block Step 10, where the raw material for new HIV virus is cut into specific pieces. Ten protease inhibitors have been approved:
The newest class of ARV drugs includes fusion inhibitors. They prevent HIV from attaching to a cell by blocking Step 2 of the life cycle. One fusion inhibitor has been approved:
HOW ARE THE DRUGS USED? When HIV multiplies, most of the new copies are mutations: they are slightly different from the original virus. Some mutations keep multiplying even when you are taking an ARV drug. When this happens, the drug will stop working. This is called "developing resistance" to the drug. If only one ARV drug is used, it is easy for the virus to develop resistance. But if two drugs are used, a successful mutant would have to "get around" both drugs at the same time. And if three drugs are used, especially if they attack HIV at different points in its life cycle, it's very hard for a mutation to show up that can resist all three drugs at the same time. Using a triple-drug combination means that it takes much longer for resistance to develop. For this reason, using just one ARV drug (monotherapy) is not recommended. CAN THESE DRUGS CURE AIDS? A blood test called the "viral load" measures the amount of HIV virus in your bloodstream. People with lower viral loads stay healthier longer. Some people's viral load is so low that it is "undetectable" by the viral load test. This does not mean that all the virus is gone. Researchers used to believe that ARV therapy could eventually kill off all of the HIV virus in the body. Now this seems unlikely. The drugs do not "cure" AIDS. However, they make it possible for people with AIDS to live a long time. WHEN DO I START? There is not a clear answer to this question. Most doctors will consider three things: 1) your viral load; 2) your CD4 cell count; and 3) any symptoms you've had. ART is usually started if your viral load is over 100,000, if your CD4 cell count is below 350, or if you’ve had any symptoms of HIV disease. This is an important decision you should discuss with your doctor. WHICH DRUGS DO I USE? Each ARV drug has side effects. Some are serious. Some combinations of drugs are easier to tolerate than others, and some seem to work better than others. Each person is different, and you and your doctor will have to decide which drugs to use. The viral load test is now being used to see if ARV drugs are working. If the viral load does not go down, or if it goes down but comes back up, it might be time to change ARV drugs. WHAT'S NEXT? New drugs are being developed in all four of the existing classes. Researchers are also trying to develop new types of drugs, such as drugs that will block other steps in the HIV life cycle, and drugs that will strengthen the body's immune defenses. You are here : Home AIDS Factsheet Medications To Fight HIV Antireteroviral Theraphy |
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