ANTI-RETROVIRAL | druginfo

ZIDOVUDINE

Anti-Retroviral (Anti-HIV)

Cross and Allergic Reactions

Usage

Amoxicillin should not be taken if one has- Mononucleosis, Colitis, Diabetes, Renal Dysfunction, Pku (Phenylketonuria), Hemodialysis--Dose needs to be decreased when in pregnancy

Type

Anti retroviral drugs are known as Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) which include commonly used drugs, Zidovudine, Stavudine, Lamivudine. These are anti thymidine analogue, which selectively inhibit HIV reverse transcriptase*.

It is most commonly available in oral form.

History

Zidovudine was first made by Jerome Horwitz of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine first synthesized AZT in 1964 under a US National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant.

Usage

Zidovudine is effective against retrovirus only and is used in the treatment of HIV infection especially for prevention of mother to fetus transmission of HIV virus

Shelf Life

Cross and Allergic Reactions

It cross reacts with Stavudine and Doxorubicin, Hence their use together should be avoided. Bone marrow suppressive/cytotoxic agents* may increase the hematologic toxicity* of zidovudine.

The allergic reactions associated with NRTIs are anaphylaxis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Side Effects

The known side effects of zidovudine are-

Common- headache, malaise, nausea, anorexia, and vomiting.

In kids- fever, cough, and digestive disorders

In neonates- anemia and neutropenia

Serious side effects associated with zidovudine are hematological toxicity(decreases RBC*- anaemia & WBC*- neutropenia), myopathy, lactic acidosis.

Should not be taken if

It should not be taken if one has anaemia or compromised liver function

Shelf life- 2 years after the manufacturing date.

90% drugs(approved by the FDA) are perfectly good even 15 years after the expiry date, the only exception to this may be tetracycline.