Section Reviews; Anti-infectives: Section Review Anti-infectives: HIV protease inhibitors in early development

Abstract

Over the last ten years, two important intervention points in the life cycle of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which involve two viral-specific enzymes, HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) and HIV protease, have been the target of intense research efforts to identify useful therapeutic agents. Several nucleoside analogues which are RT inhibitors have been approved for use in humans. Several nonnucleoside RT inhibitors are now under development. Within the last twelve months, three different HIV protease inhibitors - saqui-navir, ritonavir and indinavir - have been approved for marketing, thus validating the concept of HIV protease as an important therapeutic target. In this review, several new HIV protease inhibitors that are in early clinical development will be discussed. These compounds are VX-478, AG-1343 (nelfinavir mesylate), palinavir, KNI-272, DMP-450, U-103017 and CGP 61755.