Anti-HIV drug classes and names

There are currently 22 drugs licensed and used for the treatment of HIV, and these drugs are divided into one of five classes depending on how they attack HIV.

Listed below are the classes of drug and the individual drugs within each class. Anti-HIV drugs tend to have more than one name. Listed first is the name the drug is normally called by in this country, then in brackets the generic name for the drug is listed, and finally the drug company’s patented tradename for the drug.

Many other anti-HIV drugs are in development and you can keep up to date with this by regularly visiting NAM's website, www.aidsmap.com. You might also want to subscribe to HIV Weekly, an email bulletin that is sent out every Wednesday and provides a summary of the latest and most important treatment news.

Drugs in this class include AZT (zidovudine, Retrovir), ddI (didanosine, Videx), 3TC (lamivudine, Epivir), d4T (stavudine, Zerit), abacavir (Ziagen), and FTC (emtricitabine, Emtriva). There is also a nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor called tenofovir (Viread).

AZT and 3TC are available in a combined pill called Combivir and AZT, 3TC and abacavir are available in a combined pill called Trizivir.

There is also a single pill combining AZT and abacavir, called Kivexa.

A single pill combining FTC and the nucleotide analogue tenofovir called Truvada is available.

A single pill combining FTC, tenofovir and the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) efavirenz (Sustiva), called Atripla, is also available.

Drugs in this class are efavirenz (Sustiva), etravirine (Intelence) and nevirapine (Viramune).

A single pill combining efavirenz with the NRTI, FTC and the nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor, tenofovir, called Atripla, is also available.

Drugs in this class are atazanavir (Reyataz), darunavir (Prezista),  fosamprenavir (Telzir), indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), saquinavir (Invirase) and tipranavir (Aptivus).

If you take a protease inhibitor, you are recommended to take one that has its effectiveness boosted by a small dose of ritonavir. All of these protease inhibitors, with the exception of nelfinavir, can be boosted by ritonavir.

There is only one fusion inhibitor, T20 (enfuvirtide, Fuzeon). It is the only anti-HIV drug at the moment that needs to be taken by injection. Its use is reserved for people who have taken a lot of anti-HIV drugs in the past.

Maraviroc (Celcentri) is a CCR5 inhibitor. It works by stopping HIV locking on to immune system cells. Use of maraviroc is currently reserved for people who have taken a lot of anti-HIV drugs in the past. Vicriviroc is another CCR5 inhibitor that is currently doing well in clinical trials.

Raltegravir (Isentress) is an integrase inhibitor that stops HIV from integrating with cells that it infects. Its use is currently reserved for people who have taken a lot of anti-HIV drugs in the past, but this may change.

You can find out a lot more about these drugs including by visiting www.aidsmap.com/drugs, or by reading the NAM booklet Anti-HIV drugs, which is available free of charge from NAM or at HIV clinics, or can be downloaded. You can contact NAM on 020 3242 0820 or by email at info@nam.org.uk.