Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings
Published on: March 30, 2014
A review of low-dose ritonavir in protease inhibitor combination therapy
C L Cooper1, R P G van Heeswijk, K Gallicano
1Division of Infectious Diseases, The Ottawa Hospital-General Campus, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6. ccooper@ottawahospital.on.ca
Abstract:
The pharmacokinetics of protease inhibitors center around the microsomal enzyme cytochrome P-450 3A4. As a potent inhibitor of this enzyme, ritonavir can increase the bioavailability and half-life of coadministered protease inhibitors. Evidence suggests that increased exposure to protease inhibitors is clinically relevant. Antiretroviral treatment with low-dose ritonavir-boosted lopinavir, indinavir, and saquinavir has durable virological activity and shows impressive immune reconstitution. Although tolerable in most cases, gastrointestinal side effects, hepatotoxicity, and blood lipid abnormalities remain relevant issues. Additional study will elucidate the advantages and disadvantages of twice-daily, low-dose ritonavir-boosted regimens and determine whether once-daily regimens based on this principle will have a lasting role in clinical practice.
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors
Antiprotozoal Agents

