Although there have been great advances and millions of dollars put into research, scientists have yet to find a cure or a vaccination for HIV/AIDS. Research is still going on to develop a cure for HIV/AIDS today.

During the early years of HIV/AIDS, people were dying because there were no drugs for HIV or AIDS. When medications were finally developed to treat HIV infection, there were only a few available for patients.

Now, there are more than 20 different antiretrovirals, most commonly referred as HAART (Anti-HIV) medications, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). All medications for treating diseases undergo many years of scientific research, development and testing, and this includes the current medications used for HIV infection. Anti-HIV meds are used to slow down the progression of HIV-related disease and to control the reproduction of the virus.

Physicians usually recommend a regimen of treatment called Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), in treating HIV infection, which is a combination of three or more Anti-HIV medications in a daily regimen (taken every day).

The Anti-HIV medications usually fall into four categories*:

• Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs) which bind to and disable reverse transcriptase, a protein that HIV needs to make more copies of itself;
• Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) are faulty versions of building blocks that HIV needs to make more copies of itself. When HIV uses an NRTI instead of a normal building block, reproduction of the virus is stalled;
• Protease Inhibitors (PIs) disable protease, a protein that HIV needs to make more copies of itself, and;
• Fusion Inhibitors (FIs) work by blocking HIV entry into cells.

*To see specific list of medications, go to the Current Medications that are approved by the FDA.

Source: AIDS Info - A Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.