Tipranavir: A novel non-peptidic protease inhibitor for the treatment of HIV infection

Tipranavir (TPV) is a non-peptidic protease inhibitor belonging to the class of 4-hydroxy-5,6-dihydro-2-pyrones, which exhibits potent and specific activity against HIV type I (HIV-1) and 2 (HIV-2). Clinically effective plasma levels of TPV are achieved by concomitant administration of ritonavir (RTV). Therefore, TPV has been coadministered with RTV in clinical trials. TPV has demonstrated antiviral activity against HIV-1 isolates that are resistant to reverse-transcriptase and selected peptidic protease inhibitors. Therefore, TPV is emerging as one of the newer drugs in the armamentarium against HIV-1 in patients demonstrating multi-drug resistance. TPV administered orally to humans exhibits linear pharmacokinetics at doses of 100 - 2000 mg. Steady-state plasma levels are attained within 7 days of initiating multiple dosing. The half-life of the drug is ∼ 6 h at steady-state. The plasma concentration is lower with repeated dosing than predicted from single-dose studies due to induction of the cytochrome P450 3A4 isoform of the liver microsomal enzyme system. Phase II clinical trials have shown that the administration of TPV and RTV in combination is safe and generally well-tolerated in HIV-1-infected adults. Phase III trials are underway to compare the efficacy of this drug versus other antiretroviral regimens. Gastrointestinal toxicity has been described with TPV, the most frequently reported side effects being diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. There is no known evidence of teratogenicity or effect on fertility. TPV dosed twice-daily, in the range of 500 - 1250 mg and combined with 100 - 200 mg of RTV has been shown to substantially and durably reduce viral load in HIV-1-infected drug-naive and -experienced patients.