Fosamprenavir is an antiretroviral agent and prodrug of amprenavir used for the treatment and postexposure prophylaxis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection. Fosamprenavir is a prodrug that is rapidly hydrolyzed to amprenavir by cellular phosphatases in the gut epithelium as it is absorbed. Amprenavir is a protease inhibitor with activity against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1). It is transported into the blood then to the infected cells where it inhibits HIV-1 protease. The HIV virus binds and penetrates host cell. Viral RNA is transcribed into viral DNA via reverse transcriptase. Viral DNA enters the host nucleus and is integrated into the host DNA via integrase. The DNA is then transcribed, creating viral mRNA. Viral mRNA is translater into the gag-pol polyprotein. HIV protease is synthesized as part of the Gag-pol polyprotein, where Gag encodes for the capsid and matrix protein to form the outer protein shell, and Pol encodes for the reverse transcriptase and integrase protein to synthesize and incorporate its genome into host cells. HIV-1 protease cleaves the Gag-pol polyprotein into 66 molecular species, including HIV-1 protease, integrase, and reverse transcriptase. Amprenavir inhibits HIV-1 protease. This inhibition prevents the HIV virion from fully maturing and becoming infective. Using the lipid bilayer of the host cell, a virus is formed and released. The inhibition of HIV-1 protease prevents the necessary molecular species from forming, therefore preventing maturation and activation of viral particles. This forms immature, non-infectious viral particles, therefore, Amprenavir prevents the virus from reproducing.

Fosamprenavir Pathway References