Tables and diagrams

We’ve collected key tables and diagrams in the guide here for ease of reference.

When not on treatment, your immune system works in overdrive

CD4 increases on ART

Drug levels with good adherence

Drug doses are calculated so that average drug levels are high enough to be active against HIV for 24 hours a day. They are also low enough to minimise the risk of side effects.

A missed or late dose increases the risk of resistance

Missing or being late with a drug lets the drug levels fall to a level where resistance can develop. The more often you are late, the greater the chance of resistance.

The main types of hiv drugs

Table 1: Main types of HIV drugs
Abbreviation	Full name(s)
NRTIs/NtRTIs (“nukes”)	nucleoside/tide reverse transcriptase inhibitors or nucleoside/tide analogues
NNRTIs (“non-nukes”)	non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
PIs	protease inhibitors
INIs (or INSTIs)	integrase strand transfer inhibitors
CCR5 inhibitors	CCR5 inhibitors are a type of entry inhibitor
mAbs	monoclonal antibodies – which also block entry to the CD4 cell
Fusion inhibitors	fusion inhibitors are a type of entry inhibitor
PK boosters	Ritonavir or cobicistat are included in some combinations to boost another drug

Table 1: Main types of HIV drugs

Abbreviation

Full name(s)

NRTIs/NtRTIs (“nukes”)

nucleoside/tide reverse transcriptase inhibitors or nucleoside/tide analogues

NNRTIs
(“non-nukes”)

non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors

PIs

protease inhibitors

INIs (or INSTIs)

integrase strand transfer inhibitors

CCR5 inhibitors

CCR5 inhibitors are a type of entry inhibitor

mAbs

monoclonal antibodies – which also block entry to the CD4 cell

Fusion inhibitors

fusion inhibitors are a type of entry inhibitor

PK boosters

Ritonavir or cobicistat are included in some combinations to boost another drug

HIV lifecycle – how drugs work in different ways

If a CD4 cell is infected by HIV, this cell is used to produce hundreds of new copies of HIV. Different drugs block different parts of this HIV life cycle.