Definition

1. Noun:
   • An antiviral drug used in the treatment of AIDS: ZDV is the generic name for the drug azidothymidine (AZT). It is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) that works by inhibiting the replication of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor prescribed ZDV as part of the patient's combination therapy.
  • Early treatment regimens for HIV often included ZDV.

Advanced Usage

• "ZDV resistance": Refers to when the HIV virus develops mutations that make it less susceptible to the effects of the drug ZDV.
  • The viral load test indicated the emergence of ZDV resistance.

Variants and Related Words

• Azidothymidine (AZT): The full chemical name and another common name for ZDV.
• Retrovir: A former brand/trade name for ZDV.
• NRTI (Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor): The class of antiretroviral drugs to which ZDV belongs.

Synonyms

• AZT: Azidothymidine.
• Zidovudine: The current international nonproprietary name (INN) for the drug.

Notes on Meaning

This word is a highly specific pharmaceutical term. Its primary and essentially only meaning is as the abbreviation for the antiretroviral medication zidovudine (AZT). It is not used in general language and has no idiomatic or phrasal verb applications.

Noun

1. an antiviral drug (trade name Retrovir) used in the treatment of AIDS; adverse side effects include liver damage and suppression of the bone marrow