Is Vorinostat a treatment for AIDS?

Vorinostat (Vorinostat) is a hydroxamic acid and a panhistone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) of class I and class II histone deacetylase (HDACs). Vorinostat is The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approved it for the treatment of cutaneousT-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and is effective and well tolerated in patients with CTCL. As an HIV treatment, vorinostat is being studied as a drug that reactivates latent expression of HIV.

During HIV-1 latency, protein deacetylase enzymes are recruited to the proviral 5' long terminal repeat (LTR), where they catalyze the deacetylation of lysine residues on histones, leading to chromatin condensation on nucleosome 1 (nuc-1) and preventing HIV transcription. However, inhibition of HDAC activity causes histone acetylation (hyperacetylation) of lysine residues via histone acetyltransferases (HATs). This results in chromatin relaxation and transcriptional activation of HIV. Some studies suggest that the activity of HDACis in inducing HIV transcription may not be caused by a direct effect on histone acetylation, but by effects on other non-histone proteins.

The original drug of vorinostat is not currently on the market in China, and therefore cannot be included in the national medical insurance coverage. Overseas, there is an American version of the original drug, specifications100mg*120 pills per box, which may cost around 100,000 yuan (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rate effects). It is very expensive, and there is currently no generic version of vorinostat produced and launched. For more drug information and specific prices, please consult a medical consultant.