Antiretroviral Therapy: A Compendium of the Evolving Treatment Paradigm for HIV infection

Guidelines on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) are updated regularly and it is important to be abreast with the increasing knowledge. Recent international recommendation suggests initiating the ART to all those individuals who have detectable viremia. While it is imperative to perform baseline CD4+ counts, viral loads and resistance testing before starting treatment, non-availability of any of these tests should not delay treatment initiation. Currently, ART in the form of daily administered triple-drug combination therapy consisting of 2 NRTIs plus 1 INSTI/PI/NNRTI, is recommended for newly diagnosed patients. The regimen should be selected based on virological efficacy, adverse effects, drug-drug interactions and cost. This article is an attempt to give an overview of existing and upcoming antiretroviral drugs and recent recommendations in the management of people living with human immunodeficiency virus infection.