Tenofovir disoproxil is a prodrug, nucleotide analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor used to treat Hepatitis B infection and used to manage HIV-1 infection. This drug prevents viral DNA chain elongation through inhibition of enzymes necessary for host cell infection viral replication in HIV-1 and Hepatitis B infections. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate is the fumarate salt of the prodrug tenofovir disoproxil. Tenofovir disoproxil is absorbed and converted to its active form, tenofovir, a nucleoside monophosphate (nucleotide) analog. Tenofovir is then converted to the active metabolite, tenofovir diphosphate, a chain terminator, by constitutively expressed enzymes in the cell. Tenofovir diphosphate inhibits HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and the Hepatitis B polymerase by direct binding in competition with dATP. After integration into DNA, causes viral DNA chain termination. Tenofovir diphosphate lacks the 3'-OH group which is needed to form the 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage essential for DNA chain elongation, therefore, once tenofovir diphosphate gets incorporated into DNA, this causes DNA chain termination, preventing the growth of viral DNA. Less viral proteins are therefore produced, and there is a reduction in new viruses being formed.

Tenofovir Disoproxil Pathway References