• Test Your Knowledge of the History of HIV Treatment

    Take this quiz on milestones in effective antiretroviral therapy in the United States.
  • 1. When was the first HIV medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?

  • Answer: Retrovir (zidovudine, or AZT) was approved in 1987.

     

  • 2. In December 1995, the first protease inhibitor was approved. What was it?

  • Answer: Developed by Roche, Invirase (saquinavir) was the sixth antiretroviral and first protease inhibitor approved by the FDA.

  • 3. At the 11th International AIDS Conference, numerous studies demonstrated that triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) treatment was effective. Where did this conference take place?

  • Answer: The breakthrough news was announced at the 11th International AIDS Conference, which took place in Vancouver in 1996.

  • 4. What was the first fixed-dose combination HIV medication?

  • Answer: Combivir (zidovudine/lamivudine) was approved by the FDA in 1997 and greatly simplified HIV treatment at the time.

  • 5. In 1998, the Department of Health and Human Services issued the first federal HIV treatment guidelines, which recommended treatment for those with fewer than how many CD4 cells?

  • Answer: HIV treatment was recommended for people with HIV with fewer than 500 CD4s. Today, the current guidelines recommend treatment for all people living with HIV regardless of CD4 count.

  • 6. What was the first once-daily, single-table HIV regimen?

  • Answer: Atripla (efavirenz/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine) was approved in 2006.

  • 7. In 2011, which study found that taking ARVs reduces the risk of transmitting HIV through heterosexual sex by 96%?

  • Answer: In 2011, the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN 052) study demonstrated that the use of ARVs by HIV-positive heterosexual men and women cut the chance that their HIV-negative partner would contract the virus by roughly 96%. HPTN 052 and other studies prove that people living with HIV on effective treatment do not sexually transmit the virus, which is known as U=U, or Undetectable Equals Untransmittable.

  • 8. When was Truvada approved for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)?

  • Answer: The FDA approved Truvada as a tool to prevent HIV in 2012.

  • 9. What was the first approved complete, long-acting injectable HIV regimen?

  • Answer: Cabenuva (cabotegravir/rilpivirine) was approved in early 2021. It is administered every four weeks.

  • 10. Which of the following is not used to boost other antiretrovirals?

  • Answer: Trogarzo. Both Norvir and Tybost are used to boost the levels of other antiretrovirals in the blood.

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