Zidovudine

                                                                

                                                                         New York Times

                                                                             July 3, 1981 

                                                                First Report On HIV/AIDS 

                                                                  HIV AIDS Timeline

FDA Approval Of HIV Medicines 

Zidovudine 

Zidovudine (AZT, also called azidothymidine) was first synthesized in 1964 by Jerome Horwitz at the Michigan Cancer Foundation.

It was originally developed as a potential anti-cancer drug, but it showed no significant activity and was shelved.

Scientists at Burroughs Wellcome (now part of GSK) revisited older nucleoside analogs.

AZT showed strong activity against HIV in vitro (1985).

First Drug Approved For HIV, 1987

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