Modulation of Drug Metabolism and Antiviral Therapies

Antiviral therapies are an important, emerging area of pharmaceutical research, particularly with the advent of the AIDS epidemic and the continued existence of other virally mediated diseases. This chapter focuses on pharmacological approaches to treat these diseases and summarizes the current classes of therapeutic agents. The concept of pharmacokinetic “boosting” in enhancing the efficacy of treatment is discussed, as is the interaction potential of clinically used antiviral agents and the role of intestinal metabolism and drug transporters, particularly the multidrug resistance proteins, in the handling of these drugs. Major classes of antiviral agents that are discussed include nucleoside and nucleotide analogs, other reverse-transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, fusion inhibitors, and interferons.