Which statement is true about Zidovudine?

Which statement is true about Zidovudine?

• A. It treats influenza
• B. It treats HIV
• C. It treats hepatitis
• D. It treats herpes

Answer: (B)

Zidovudine is an antiretroviral medication that inhibits HIV replication. It’s a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and acts as a thymidine analog that, once activated inside the cell, competes with the natural substrate for incorporation into viral DNA. When reverse transcriptase incorporates Zidovudine into the growing viral DNA chain, it terminates elongation, stopping HIV replication. This makes it effective for treating HIV and for use in combination antiretroviral therapy, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission. It is not used to treat influenza, hepatitis, or herpes, which are managed with other antiviral drugs targeting those pathogens. A notable side effect is bone marrow suppression, leading to anemia and neutropenia, so monitoring blood counts is important during therapy.

Zidovudine is an antiretroviral medication that inhibits HIV replication. It’s a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and acts as a thymidine analog that, once activated inside the cell, competes with the natural substrate for incorporation into viral DNA. When reverse transcriptase incorporates Zidovudine into the growing viral DNA chain, it terminates elongation, stopping HIV replication. This makes it effective for treating HIV and for use in combination antiretroviral therapy, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission. It is not used to treat influenza, hepatitis, or herpes, which are managed with other antiviral drugs targeting those pathogens. A notable side effect is bone marrow suppression, leading to anemia and neutropenia, so monitoring blood counts is important during therapy.