Tenofovir: Quo Vadis Anno 2012 (Where Is It Going in the Year 2012) ?

Twenty years after its original discovery, tenofovir has acquired a crucial position in the fight against human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ). First, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate ( TDF ) is not only efficacious against, and has been licensed for the treatment of HIV ( AIDS ), but also HBV (hepatitis B ). Second, for the treatment of HIV infections, TDF can be used in combination with other anti‐ HIV drugs, such as emtricitabine (combination termed T ruvada®) and T ruvada can be further combined with efavirenz, rilpivirine, elvitegravir, atazanavir, or darunavir, as a single once‐daily oral pill. Third, T ruvada can be used prophylactically to prevent transmission of HIV infection. And fourth, to prevent sexual HIV transmission, tenofovir could also be used topically (i.e., as a vaginal gel). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev., 32, No. 4, 765‐785, 2012