1.NRTIs
Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) prevent HIV from replicating by blocking an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. This reduces the viral load of HIV in a person’s body.
2.NNRTIs
Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) prevent HIV from replicating by binding to and altering reverse transcriptase, which HIV uses to replicate. This reduces the viral load of HIV in the person’s body.
3.PIs
Protease inhibitors (PIs) prevent HIV from replicating by blocking an enzyme called protease. HIV needs this enzyme to replicate.
4.Fusion inhibitors
To replicate successfully, HIV must enter a cell in a process called fusion. Fusion inhibitors are drugs that prevent HIV from entering the white blood cells that it targets, called CD4 cells.
5.CCR5 antagonists
To enter a cell, HIV must first bind to a special receptor on the cell’s surface. One of these receptors is the CCR5 coreceptor.
CCR5 antagonists are drugs that block the CCR5 coreceptor, preventing HIV from attaching to and entering white blood cells. For this reason, doctors refer to CCR5 antagonists as “entry inhibitors.”
Attachment inhibitors
Attachment inhibitors bind to a protein called g120, located on the surface of HIV cells. This prevents HIV from entering CD4 cells.
Protease inhibitors (PIs)
Protease inhibitors (PIs) block the activity of the protease enzyme, which HIV uses to break up large polyproteins into the smaller pieces required for assembly of new viral particles. While HIV can still replicate in the presence of protease inhibitors, the resulting virions are immature and unable to infect new cells.
By Kenyans