Invirase is part of a group of
HIV medications known as protease inhibitors. These medicines work by blocking a process that the HIV virus needs in order to multiply.
Like other viruses, HIV must use a person's own cells to reproduce. Once inside an infected cell, the HIV virus uses the cell to make DNA, which enables it to make new HIV viruses that can spread to other cells. The DNA is made into long strands that must be clipped into shorter, usable strands using enzymes called proteases.
Invirase stops protease enzymes from clipping DNA into short strands. Because the long, unclipped DNA strands cannot be used to make new viruses, this helps stop the spread of HIV to other uninfected cells. Invirase is not a cure for HIV or
AIDS, however. Although it can help stop HIV from infecting healthy cells in the body, it does not help cells that have already been infected with the virus.
Invirase is always used in combination with
ritonavir. Ritonavir increases the level of Invirase in the blood, helping it work better. This is known as "boosting." Ritonavir is used to boost several different HIV medications.
Invirase Uses in Children
Invirase is not approved for use in children younger than 16 years old. Talk with your child's healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using the drug in children.
On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend Invirase for treating something other than HIV infection and AIDS. This is called an "
off-label" use. At this time, Invirase is used off-label to prevent HIV infection in people who are exposed to the HIV virus (such as a healthcare worker who comes in contact with a contaminated needle stick). This is called postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).
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