Non-nucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase

Recent progress in the area of non-nucleoside inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) is covered. Inhibitors of this enzyme, which plays an essential role in the virus life cycle, constitute a key component of current anti-HIV-1 therapies. Recently, nevirapine (Viramune(TM)) and delavirdine (Rescriptor(TM), non-nucleoside inhibitors with a mechanism of action different to that used by nucleoside analogues such as azidothymidine (AZT), have been approved for use in the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Efforts to improve these and other non-nucleoside inhibitors and to develop more effective structures are surveyed.