Tag: Ziagen

As a critical component of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV, abacavir is a well-established medication. To answer the question, "Which class is abacavir?", it belongs to the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) class.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved abacavir for HIV treatment in 1998. The generic for abacavir, which is the medication's official name, is now widely available from various manufacturers, offering a more accessible and affordable treatment option for people with HIV.

First approved by the FDA in 1998, the antiretroviral medication abacavir has been a key component in HIV treatment. It is important for patients to know what is the generic name of abacavir, which is simply abacavir, and understand its primary brand name, Ziagen, as well as its availability in combined formulations.

In late 2023 and early 2024, manufacturer ViiV Healthcare phased out several brand-name formulations containing abacavir, including Ziagen tablets. This has led to widespread confusion and questions about the medication's status, but is abacavir discontinued? The answer is more complex, as generic versions and other formulations remain available for treating HIV.

Abacavir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), a class of antiretroviral medications used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It is often prescribed as part of a combination therapy to reduce the amount of HIV in the body.

The abbreviation **ABC** is used in a clinical setting to refer to the antiretroviral medication **abacavir**, a cornerstone of combination therapies for HIV-1 infection. Knowing which drug is ABC is particularly crucial due to the risk of a serious, potentially fatal hypersensitivity reaction that can occur in some individuals.

In late 2023 and early 2024, the manufacturer of brand-name abacavir products, ViiV Healthcare, ceased distribution of several tablet formulations, including Ziagen, Epzicom, and Trizivir. This has led to widespread confusion and concerns about the drug's future, with many asking: is abacavir being discontinued entirely?