A magisterial survey of all aspects of the reverse transcriptase
inhibitors (RTIs) used to treat HIV/AIDS, including drug discovery,
pharmacology, development of drug resistance, toxicity, and prevention
of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. The authors synthesize our
current understanding of the role of reverse transcriptase in the viral
life cycle, describe the discovery and development of eight nucleoside
and nucleotide analogs that represent milestones in treatment history,
and thoroughly discuss the question of toxicity and resistance to this
class of drugs. They also address three non-nucleoside RTIs and their
pharmacokinetics and comparative clinical efficacy, new RTIs currently
under development, and the impact of approved agents on treatment, in
general, and on vertical transmission in the developing world.