capsid inhibitor – this is a new type of HIV drug that works at several different stages of the HIV lifecycle.
Lenacapavir is currently to only approved capsid inhibitor. The long-acting HIV med only needs to be given by subcutaneous injection every six months.
T1/2 (half-life) – the time taken a drug to clear from the highest concentration to half this level. Drugs have different half-lives in different compartments (ie half-life in blood can be different from the half-life inside a cell). It take 5 x the half-live for a drug to be considered cleared.
What happens when you take a drug?
biopsy – taking a small sample of body tissue for examination and testing in the laboratory.
C-section – Caesarean section, procedure to deliver a baby that involves making a cut through the abdominal wall to surgically remove the infant from the uterus.
brand name drug – drug supplied under a marketing name. Brand name drugs are usually protected by patents, but some generic drugs also have brand names