| Title | Early Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors for the Treatment of HIV: A Brief History of Stavudine (D4T) and Its Comparison with Other Dideoxynucleosides. | | Author(s) | Martin JC, Hitchcock MJ, De Clercq E, Prusoff WH | | Institution | Gilead Sciences, Inc., 333 Lakeside Drive, Foster City, CA 94404. | | Source | Antiviral Res 2009 Oct 22. | | Abstract | The occasion of this twenty-fifth anniversary issue encouraged us to reminisce about the important history of the discovery of the dideoxynucleoside analogues for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and to chronicle our thoughts about a particular exciting and rewarding period of our scientific careers. Following the identification of the anti-HIV activity of zidovudine (AZT), we participated in the urgent quest to discover optimal treatments of HIV infection and AIDS. A number of previously synthesized nucleoside analogues were comparatively evaluated, and stavudine (D4T) emerged as a promising candidate for development. Following clinical evaluation, D4T became a mainstay of the initial antiretroviral combination therapy, prolonging and saving numerous lives. It has only recently been supplanted by better-tolerated treatments. This article forms part of a special issue of Antiviral Research marking the 25th anniversary of antiretroviral drug discovery and development, Vol 85, issue 1, 2010. | | Language | ENG | | Pub Type(s) | JOURNAL ARTICLE
| | PubMed ID | 19854224 |
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