New Class of AIDS Drug? Two Compounds Lay Foundation, Help Combat Drug-Resistant Virus Strains, The Scripps Research Institute Study

ScienceDaily (Feb. 4, 2010) — A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has identified two compounds that act on novel binding sites for an enzyme used by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. The discovery lays the foundation for the development of a new class of anti-HIV drugs to enhance existing therapies, treat drug-resistant strains of the disease, and slow the evolution of drug resistance in the virus.