or the availability of abacavir. Below are few of the common established drug and food interaction that can take place during abacavir co-administration: Protease inhibitors such as tipranavir or ritonovir may decrease the serum concentration of abacavir through induction of glucuronidation. Abacavir is metabolized by both alcohol dehydrogenase and glucuronidation. Ethanol may result in increased levels of abacavir through the inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase. Abacavir is metabolized by both alcohol dehydrogenase and glucuronidation. Methadone may diminish the therapeutic effect of Abacavir. Abacavir may decrease the serum concentration of Methadone. Orlistat may decrease the serum concentration of antiretroviral drugs. The mechanism of this interaction is not fully established but it is suspected that it is due to the decreased absorption of abacavir by orlistat. Cabozantinib: Drugs from the MRP2 inhibitor (Multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 inhibitors) family such as abacavir could increase the serum concentration of Cabozantinib. Mechanism of action Abacavir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor that inhibits viral replication. It is a guanosine analogue that is phosphorylated to carbovir triphosphate (CBV-TP). CBV-TP competes with the viral molecules and is incorporated into the viral DNA. Once CBV-TP is integrated into the viral DNA, transcription and HIV reverse transcriptase is inhibited. Pharmacokinetics Abacavir is given orally and is rapidly absorbed with a high bioavailability of 83%. Solution and tablet have comparable concentrations and bioavailability. Abacavir can be taken with or without food. Abacavir can cross the blood–brain barrier. Abacavir is metabolized primarily through the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase and glucuronyl transferase to an inactive carboxylate and glucuronide metabolites. It has a half-life of approximately 1.5-2.0 hours. If a person has liver failure, abacavir's half life is increased by 58%. Abacavir is eliminated via excretion in the urine (83%) and feces (16%). It is unclear whether abacavir can be removed by hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. History Robert Vince and Susan Daluge along with Mei Hua, a visiting scientist from China, developed the medication in the '80s. Abacavir was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 18 December 1998, and is thus the fifteenth approved antiretroviral drug in the United States. Its patent expired in the United States on 26 December 2009. Synthesis References Further reading External links Abacavir pathway on PharmGKB Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitors Cyclopentenes Cyclopropyl compounds Hepatotoxins Nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors Purines World Health Organization essential medicines Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate Hydroxymethyl compounds