Paper II
2018 July (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min

Question

Low dose ritonavir

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Answer

Low-dose ritonavir is used not for its own antiviral effect but as a pharmacokinetic “booster” — it potently inhibits CYP3A4, the enzyme that metabolizes other protease inhibitors (e.g., lopinavir, atazanavir). By inhibiting their metabolism, low-dose ritonavir increases the plasma levels and half-life of the co-administered protease inhibitor, allowing lower doses and less frequent dosing of that drug while maintaining effective antiviral levels — this strategy is called “ritonavir boosting.”

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