Combivir

Combivir

Combination of
Lamivudine	Nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor
Zidovudine	Nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor
Clinical data
Pregnancy category	US: C (Risk not ruled out)
Routes of administration	Oral
Legal status
Legal status	UK: POM (Prescription only) US: ℞-only
Identifiers
ATC code	J05AR01 (WHO)
PubChem	CID 160352
ChemSpider	21106283

Combivir is the brand name for a pharmaceutical treatment for HIV infection. It is a fixed dose combination of two antiretroviral drugs, lamivudine (also called 3TC, with the brand name Epivir) and zidovudine (also called AZT, with the brand name Retrovir). The combination of the two drugs has a stronger and more sustained effect than using either drug alone, and assists in reducing pill burden and in aiding compliance with the antiretroviral drug therapy.

Both lamivudine and zidovudine are reverse transcriptase inhibitors, which block the action of an enzyme, reverse transcriptase, that the virus requires for reproduction. It reduces the viral load in the body and raises CD4 cell count.

It was approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration on September 26, 1997, making it the thirteenth approved antiretroviral. It is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline.

Combivir has some rather unpleasant side effects. Users typically report feeling tired and sick.

External links

• Combivir website operated by GlaxoSmithKline