What is AZT Cocktail ? combination of drugs to treat HIV and AIDS

FDA approved the AZT (zidovudine) drug to combat HIV and AIDS in 1987, this belongs to family of "Reverse transcriptase inhibitors" called nucleoside analogs.

New drugs called "Protease Inhibitors" were first approved in 1995 used for treatment of patients infected with the AIDS virus. This drug is usually taken with two other drugs called "Reverse Transcriptase inhibitors" and "Protease inhibitors". The combined drug "cocktail" has helped change AIDS to a chronic, but manageable, disease.

Within two months of beginning the triple cocktail treatment, also known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the measure of new AIDS virus produced in the body, dropped to undetectable levels.

In 1997, FDA approved Combivir, a mixture of AZT and 3TC that allows patients to reduce the number of pills needed, which can be upwards of 20 a day for certain drug combinations.

Another concern is that the combination therapy, besides being very expensive, requires a much more complicated treatment regimen. Patients must be aware of and adhere to their dosing schedule. Its said that if not taken on a strict regimen, protease inhibitors can result in the emergence of HIV strains that are resistant to treatment. Numerous studies also have shown that viral load can rapidly "rebound" to high levels if patients discontinue part or all of the triple therapy regimen.

Research is currently under way to determine if protease inhibitors cause a permanent change in fat metabolism.