Chemical Formula:
C10H13N5O4
Mechanism of Action:
Zidovudine is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) that primarily works against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
It is a nucleoside analogue that, after phosphorylation into its active form, zidovudine triphosphate, competes with natural nucleotides for incorporation into the growing viral DNA chain by reverse transcriptase.
This incorporation results in chain termination and inhibition of viral replication.
Uses:
Zidovudine is used to treat HIV infection and can be used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
It is also used to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
Side Effects:
Some common side effects of zidovudine include:
Fatigue
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Insomnia
Serious side effects may include:
Bone marrow suppression (anaemia, neutropenia)
Lactic acidosis
Hepatomegaly with steatosis
Myopathy
