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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Published on: May 9, 2025
Emerging reverse transcriptase inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infection in adults
Claude Fortin1, Véronique Joly, Patrick Yeni
1Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, UHRESS-Département de Microbiologie médicale et Infectiologie, Hôpital Notre-Dame, 1560, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal (Québec), H2L 4M1, Canada. claude.fortin.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Insights
New highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) drugs are emerging to combat HIV. Research focuses on enhancing potency, reducing toxicity, and overcoming drug resistance for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is the standard of care for HIV treatment.
- 21 antiretroviral drugs are currently available, categorized into four main classes.
- Emerging HIV drugs target novel viral proteins or existing viral targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review emerging drugs designed to inhibit the reverse transcriptase of HIV.
- To highlight key considerations in developing new antiretroviral drugs within existing classes.
Main Methods:
- Review of preclinical and clinical development of novel anti-HIV compounds.
- Analysis of strategies for optimizing drug potency and minimizing toxicity.
- Examination of approaches to overcome drug resistance and reduce pill burden.
Main Results:
- Focus on developing potent, less toxic drugs with reduced resistance risk.
- Emphasis on creating effective treatments for patients with existing drug resistance.
- Goal of once-daily dosing to improve patient adherence and reduce costs.
Conclusions:
- Emerging HIV drugs aim to improve upon current HAART regimens.
- Development priorities include enhanced efficacy, safety, and patient convenience.
- Continued research is crucial for addressing HIV treatment challenges.
Abstract:
A combination of three or more antiretroviral drugs, commonly called 'highly active antiretroviral therapy' (HAART), has become the standard-of-care treatment for HIV-infected patients in the developed world. There are now 21 licensed anti-HIV drugs to choose from when starting a HAART regimen. The currently approved antiretroviral drugs fall into four categories: nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors and fusion inhibitors. Novel compounds currently in preclinical or clinical development are either focusing on new viral proteins or the same specific viral elements targeted by the available drugs. When developing new anti-HIV drugs of an already existing class, focus should be held on maximising potency, minimising toxicity, diminishing the risk for resistance development and producing effective drugs for patients who already have resistance to currently available drugs. In addition, pill burden should be ideally reduced to once-daily dosing, thereby enhancing a patient's adherence and reducing treatment costs. The present review focuses on emerging drugs to inhibit the reverse transcriptase of HIV.
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