How Abacavir Sulfate is helpful in the treatment of HIV

What is Abacavir Sulfate:

Abacavir is in the NRTI class of medications. This class of medications works by blocking the reverse transcriptase. Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme needed for Human Immunodeficiency Virus replication. Within the NRTI class, abacavir sulfate is a carbocyclic nucleoside. 

How Abacavir 300mg is helpful for HIV Treatment:

Abacavir 300mg  is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor that works by inhibiting the viral replication. This medication is a guanosine analogue that is (CBV-TP) phosphorylated to carbovir triphosphate. This Phosphorylated to carbovir triphosphate (CBV-TP) competes with the viral molecules and is incorporated into the viral DNA. Once phosphorylated to carbovir triphosphate (CBV-TP) is integrated into the viral DNA, transcription and HIV reverse transcriptase is inhibited. 

This medication has the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier. Also it is metabolized primarily through the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase and glucuronyl transferase to an inactive carboxylate and glucuronide metabolites.

Abacavir has been only proven to work when taken in combination with other anti-HIV medications. When used in combination with these other medications, Abacavir helps lower the amount of HIV found in your blood and keep your immune system as healthy as possible so that it can help fight infection. However, this medication does not have these effects in all patients.

Abacavir Sulphate does not cure HIV infection or AIDS. At this time, there is no evidence that abacavir will help you live longer or have fewer of the medical problems that are associated with HIV infection or AIDS. Because of this, you must be sure to be seen regularly by your healthcare provider. 

Abacavir 300mg has a half-life of about 1.5-2.0 hours. If a person is struggling with liver failure, abacavir's half-life is increased by approximately 58%.

Overall, the primary pharmacodynamic studies provided adequate and precise evidence that the abacavir medication exerts a significant antiviral effect on Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 and also Human Immunodeficiency Virus-2. 

Some studies demonstrated that the efficacy of abacavir treatment, particularly in combination with lamivudine and zidovudine in treatment naïve patients where the antiviral effect appears sustained to at least 48 weeks and non-inferior to a combination with indinavir.

Side Effects of Abacavir Tablets:

Abacavir is generally well tolerated but in some people common side effects have been reported such as:

• Vomiting
• Trouble Sleeping
• Fever, and Feeling Tired.
• Also, sometimes, some more severe side effects may occur which are:
• Hypersensitivity
• Liver Damage
• And, Lactic Acidosis.
• Hypersensitivity includes vomiting, rash, and shortness of breath.

Abacavir is associated with a hypersensitivity reaction that occurs in approximately 5-10% of patients. When a hypersensitivity reaction cannot be ruled out, abacavir tablets treatment must be permanently discontinued and should never be used again in the same patient.

Abacavir Dose:

Abacavir should be taken by mouth as a tablet or solution and may be used in children over the age of three months. 

And, most commonly, the medication abacavir is sold together with some other HIV medications, which are as follows:

• Abacavir/Lamivudine/Zidovudine.
• Abacavir/Dolutegravir/Lamivudine.
• Abacavir/Lamivudine.

The combination of abacavir/lamivudine is also an essential medicine.

Read:- Efavirenz Emtricitabine Tenofovir for the treatment of HIV