Current concepts in the drug therapy of HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Since the first reports were made in 1981 of AIDS among some American young male professionals who were all homosexuals, the infection has become a pandemic and now appears to affect poor countries most seriously. Shortly afterwards, its causative agent, the human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) a retrovirus, was discovered and its' essential biology including molecular biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and diagnostic elements and technology were described and developed. Although these fascinating developments have taken place in such a very short time interval and we therefore have considerable knowledge about the characteristics of the epidemic and its trend compared with past epidemics (Cartwright & Biddis 1972), we have however, not made as much progress with treatment of Aids in its many manifestations as we ought to have done.