Zidovudine
Zidovudine (ZDV), also known as azidothymidine (AZT), is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. It reduces the replication of the virus and leads to improvements in both symptoms and blood tests. It can also be used to prevent HIV transmission, such as from mother to child during the period of birth or after a needle stick injury. Used by itself in HIV-infected patients, AZT slows HIV replication in patients, but does not stop it entirely. HIV may become AZT-resistant over time, and therefore AZT is now usually used in conjunction with other anti-HIV drugs in the combination therapy called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).