Efavirenz is an antiretroviral medication, used to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS.
It acts as an inhibitor of HIV's reverse transcriptase enzyme, which converts viral RNA into DNA, to be incorporated into human T lymphocyte cells.
It is described as a
non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. NNRTIs act allosterically by binding to a distinct site away from the active site known as the NNRTI pocket.
It is a substituted benzoxazine compound and its molecular structure does not resemble DNA nucleosides which interact directly with the enzyme's active site.
Its chemical name is
(S)-
6-chloro-4-
cyclopropylethynyl -4-
trifluoromethyl -1,4-dihydro-
benzo[d][1,3]oxazin-2-one
Efavirenz in combination with other drugs such as tenofovir/emtricitabine (Truvada) can be used as
highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) treatments for HIV.