GENERIC NAME: zidovudine (AZT) BRAND NAME: Retrovir DRUG CLASS
AND MECHANISM: Zidovudine is an oral and injectable medication
that is used for the treatment of infections with the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is in a class of drugs called
reverse transcriptase inhibitors which also includes zalcitabine
(Hivid), stavudine (Zerit), didanosine (Videx), and lamivudine
(Epivir). During infection with HIV, the HIV virus multiplies
within the body's cells. The newly-formed viruses then are
released from the cells and spread throughout the body where
they infect other cells. In this manner, the infection
continually spreads to new, uninfected cells that the body is
continually producing, and HIV infection is perpetuated. When
producing new viruses, the HIV virus must manufacture new DNA
for each virus. Reverse transcriptase is the enzyme that the
virus uses to make this new DNA. Zidovudine inhibits the
activity of reverse transcriptase and blocks the production of
DNA and new viruses. Specifically, zidovudi