Lopinavir
Encyclopedia
Lopinavir is an antiretroviral
of the protease inhibitor
class. It is used as a fixed-dose combination with another protease inhibitor, ritonavir
, under the trade names Kaletra (high-income countries) and Aluvia (low-income countries).
There are contradictory reports regarding lopinavir penetration into the cerebrospinal fluid
(CSF). Anecdotal reports state that lopinavir cannot be detected in the CSF; however, a study of paired CSF-plasma samples from 26 patients receiving lopinavir/ritonavir found lopinavir CSF levels above the IC50
in 77% of samples.
.
Antiretroviral drug
Antiretroviral drugs are medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV. When several such drugs, typically three or four, are taken in combination, the approach is known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, or HAART...
of the protease inhibitor
Protease inhibitor (pharmacology)
Protease inhibitors are a class of drugs used to treat or prevent infection by viruses, including HIV and Hepatitis C. PIs prevent viral replication by inhibiting the activity of proteases, e.g.HIV-1 protease, enzymes used by the viruses to cleave nascent proteins for final assembly of new...
class. It is used as a fixed-dose combination with another protease inhibitor, ritonavir
Ritonavir
Ritonavir, with trade name Norvir , is an antiretroviral drug from the protease inhibitor class used to treat HIV infection and AIDS....
, under the trade names Kaletra (high-income countries) and Aluvia (low-income countries).
Pharmacology
Lopinavir is highly bound to plasma proteins (98–99%).There are contradictory reports regarding lopinavir penetration into the cerebrospinal fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid , Liquor cerebrospinalis, is a clear, colorless, bodily fluid, that occupies the subarachnoid space and the ventricular system around and inside the brain and spinal cord...
(CSF). Anecdotal reports state that lopinavir cannot be detected in the CSF; however, a study of paired CSF-plasma samples from 26 patients receiving lopinavir/ritonavir found lopinavir CSF levels above the IC50
IC50
The half maximal inhibitory concentration is a measure of the effectiveness of a compound in inhibiting biological or biochemical function. This quantitative measure indicates how much of a particular drug or other substance is needed to inhibit a given biological process by half...
in 77% of samples.
Clinical properties
Side effects, interactions and contraindications have only be evaluated in the drug combination lopinavir/ritonavirLopinavir/ritonavir
Lopinavir/ritonavir is a fixed dose combination drug for the treatment of HIV infection. It combines lopinavir with a sub-therapeutic dose of ritonavir into a fixed-dose pill....
.
External links
- Abbott: Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) tablets
- Lopinavir Product Insert and Packaging Information.