Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Like NRTIs, the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) also keep HIV from infecting cells by interfering with the virus' reverse transcriptase. However, they do it in a different way. The NNRTIs bind directly to reverse transcriptase, which changes the shape of the enzyme. This means the enzyme cannot interact normally with the viral RNA to produce DNA. They are metabolized in the liver, so if used there must be special consideration of potential interactions with other drugs that are also processed through the liver.

NNRTIs approved for use in the UK: