Tag: Stavudine

Stavudine has long been recognized as a medication capable of causing pancreatitis, a serious and sometimes fatal inflammation of the pancreas. This risk is heightened when the drug is used in combination with other antiretroviral agents, particularly didanosine. While its use has declined in favor of safer alternatives, understanding this adverse effect is critical for patients, especially in resource-limited settings where the drug is still prevalent.

According to the Johns Hopkins HIV Guide, stavudine is no longer a recommended drug for HIV antiretroviral therapy due to multiple toxicities, most commonly peripheral neuropathy. This serious side effect, which causes nerve damage, was a primary reason for its discontinuation in many parts of the world.

Stavudine, an antiretroviral medication once commonly used for HIV/AIDS, is widely known by at least two other names: its brand name, Zerit, and its chemical shorthand, d4T. It was approved in the US in 1994 and became available as a generic medicine.

In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that countries phase out stavudine, a widely used and inexpensive antiretroviral drug, due to its severe and often irreversible long-term side effects. The decision to withdraw stavudine (d4T), marketed as Zerit, was a critical turning point in HIV treatment, prioritizing patient safety over the drug's initial accessibility.

First approved by the FDA in 1994, the antiretroviral medication Stavudine (also known as d4T) was once a key treatment for HIV. In response to the question, 'Is Stavudine still available?', the answer is no, particularly in the US and most resource-rich settings, due to severe and irreversible side effects.