Which drug class does darunavir belong to?

Darunavir is classified as a protease inhibitor, which is a crucial class of antiviral agents used primarily in the treatment of HIV infection. Protease inhibitors work by inhibiting the activity of the HIV protease enzyme, which is essential for the viral replication process. By blocking this enzyme, darunavir prevents the cleavage of viral polyproteins into their functional forms, leading to the production of immature and non-infectious viral particles.

This mechanism is critical for effectively managing HIV, as it limits the virus's ability to multiply and spread within the host. Darunavir specifically is recognized for its efficacy against both drug-sensitive and many drug-resistant strains of HIV, making it a valuable option in antiretroviral therapy. The other classes of drugs mentioned—NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors), integrase inhibitors, and fusion inhibitors—target different stages of the viral life cycle but do not include the mechanism that darunavir utilizes. Therefore, darunavir’s classification as a protease inhibitor is fundamental in understanding its role in HIV treatment.