Vivecon
Encyclopedia
Vivecon is an investigational new drug
in development for the treatment of HIV
infection. It is a maturation inhibitor
.
into functional subunits. Unlike the protease inhibitors
, vivecon binds the gag protein, not the protease enzyme. The resulting virus particles are structurally defective and are incapable of spreading infection through the body.
Investigational New Drug
The United States Food and Drug Administration's Investigational New Drug program is the means by which a pharmaceutical company obtains permission to ship an experimental drug across state lines before a marketing application for the drug has been approved...
in development for the treatment of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
infection. It is a maturation inhibitor
Maturation inhibitor
The maturation inhibitors are a class of antiviral drugs for the treatment of infection with HIV. They act by interfering with the maturation of the virus. Specifically, drugs in this class disrupt the final step in the processing of the HIV-1 Gag protein, leading to the formation of...
.
Mechanism of action
Vivecon targets the gag polyprotein precursor, the main structural protein responsible for assembly and budding of virion particles. By binding to the gag polyprotein, vivecon prevents its cleavage by the protease enzymeHIV-1 protease
HIV-1 protease is a retroviral aspartyl protease that is essential for the life-cycle of HIV, the retrovirus that causes AIDS.HIV PR cleaves newly synthesized polyproteins at the appropriate places to create the mature protein components of an infectious HIV virion...
into functional subunits. Unlike the protease inhibitors
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...
, vivecon binds the gag protein, not the protease enzyme. The resulting virus particles are structurally defective and are incapable of spreading infection through the body.