Nucleoside Analogue Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Nucleoside Analogue Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) were the first type of drug available to treat HIV infection. Not surprisingly, NRTIs inhibit the enzyme reverse transcriptase. NRTIs are analogs (think of the word "analogous," which means "similar") because they are imitations of the body's own nucleosides, which HIV uses to infect cells.

NRTIs approved for use in the UK: