What Is Hivid?
(This medication is no longer available. This medication was not discontinued for safety reasons. The manufacturer of Hivid chose to stop making it because current HIV treatment guidelines recommended using newer medications, rather than Hivid.)
Hivid
® (
zalcitabine) is a prescription medication used to treat
AIDS and HIV. Hivid is approved only for use with other medications for the treatment of HIV. It is not approved to be used by itself.
(Click Hivid Uses for more information on what Hivid is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
Hivid is made by Roche Pharmaceuticals.
Hivid belongs to group of medications known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). NRTI medications work by blocking a process that the HIV virus needs in order to multiply.
HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that is responsible for AIDS. Like other viruses, HIV must use a person's own cells to reproduce. However, HIV is different than other viruses because it must first convert its genetic material from RNA to DNA. It is the DNA genes that allow HIV to multiply.
HIV converts its genetic material into DNA by using a special protein called the reverse transcriptase enzyme. To create DNA, this enzyme uses several different protein building blocks.
Hivid works by tricking reverse transcriptase into thinking it is one of these protein building blocks. However, it is just different enough that when used to create DNA, Hivid actually stops the DNA from being made. Without DNA, HIV cannot multiply.
Hivid is not a cure for HIV or AIDS. Although it can help stop HIV from infecting uninfected cells in the body, it does not help cells that have already been infected with the virus.
