Description

Sustiva (generic name: Efavirenz; brand name: Stocrin) belongs to a category of HIV medicines called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).

Sustiva is used to help treat HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection. It is used in combination with other appropriate medicines used to treat the HIV virus. Examples include protease inhibitors such as indinavir and nelfinavir or nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) such as zidovudine or lamivudine.

Sustiva was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of HIV in 1998.

Sustiva works by interrupting the formation of new HIV particles in already infected cells. When HIV is attacked by Sustiva, the virus is not able to reproduce normally. This helps reduce the amount of virus in the blood.