Abstract

The therapeutic approach to AIDS is based on the combination of different drugs in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen. These drugs have a wide variety of side effects, and some strains of HIV can develop resistance: for these reasons new anti-HIV drugs are needed. In the wide field of anti-HIV medicine this review covers different classes of drugs which inhibit viral entry: in particular the classification of main categories, their mode of action and some new candidates for AIDS therapy are contemplated. Also covered in this review are respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion inhibitors.

Keywords: Aids, viral entry inhibitors, CD4 receptor, coreceptor, CCR5, CXCR4, HIV fusion inhibitors, RSV fusion inhibitors