HIV Post-exposure Prophylaxis: Future Research Methodological Challenges and Potential Approaches

Research has played a vital role in changing the face of the medical field. From untreatable diseases to highly contagious diseases, research made wondrous achievements and solved the previously unsolvable. The research on HIV has also provided us with life-saving treatments like a prophylaxis from HIV. The WHO (World Health Organization) convened a meeting in… Continue reading

HIV PEP Drugs: Viread® (tenofovir) nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)

Tenofovir (Viread®) was invented by Antonín Holý from at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and patented in 1984, making this one of the earliest antiviral drugs. In collaboration with Gilead Sciences and the University of California, it was developed into its current form and was approved for… Continue reading

HIV PEP drugs: Emtriva® (emtricitabine) reverse transcriptase inhibitor

Emtricitabine was developed as a combined effort between Dr. Dennis C. Liotta, Dr. Raymond F. Schinazi, and Dr. Woo-Baeg Choi at Emory university and was patented by Emory through Triangle Pharmaceuticals under the trade name of Emtriva® in 1996. Triangle Pharmaceuticals has been owned by Gilead Sciences since 2003. Emtriva®™ targets the HIV protein reverse transcriptase. By inhibiting… Continue reading

HIV PEP drugs: Kaletra® (lopinavir/ritonavir) viral protease inhibitors

The HIV PEP designer drug Kaletra® (LPV/r) contains the two HIV viral protease inhibitors lopinavir (LPV) and ritonavir (RTV) [Norvir®]. Developed by Abbott laboratories in 2000, it is referred to as a designer drug as it was specifically formulated based on X-ray crystallography structures to specifically target the HIV protease. Both lopinavir and ritonavir inhibit the… Continue reading