What is the primary purpose of Zidovudine?

What is the primary purpose of Zidovudine?

• A. Treat Influenza
• B. Treat HIV
• C. Treat Hepatitis
• D. Treat Herpes

Answer: (B)

Zidovudine is an antiretroviral drug that targets HIV by inhibiting reverse transcriptase, the enzyme HIV uses to convert its RNA into DNA and replicate. It’s a thymidine analog (an NRTI) that, once activated in the body, competes with natural nucleotides and, when incorporated into the viral DNA, terminates chain elongation. This mechanism makes Zidovudine primarily useful for treating HIV and for reducing mother-to-child transmission, rather than treating other viruses like influenza, hepatitis, or herpes, which are addressed by different antiviral drugs with different targets. Side effects can include bone marrow suppression leading to anemia, so monitoring is important during therapy.

Zidovudine is an antiretroviral drug that targets HIV by inhibiting reverse transcriptase, the enzyme HIV uses to convert its RNA into DNA and replicate. It’s a thymidine analog (an NRTI) that, once activated in the body, competes with natural nucleotides and, when incorporated into the viral DNA, terminates chain elongation. This mechanism makes Zidovudine primarily useful for treating HIV and for reducing mother-to-child transmission, rather than treating other viruses like influenza, hepatitis, or herpes, which are addressed by different antiviral drugs with different targets. Side effects can include bone marrow suppression leading to anemia, so monitoring is important during therapy.