Over the years, researchers have discovered that HIV-1 has several different sub strains, including Group M. Group M, which stands for Group Major, is the most common subtype of HIV-1 and accounts for most HIV infections. Therefore, most of the standard treatments that were devised to combat HIV/AIDS are effective at treating HIV-1 Group M infections. Within Group M, there are many different subtypes, but the treatments are similar for all of them.
As with other types and classifications of HIV-1, there’s no exact cure for Group M infections. There are, however, treatments that can keep HIV-1 Group M viruses at bay and prevent them from being fatal. In most cases, with the right combination of treatments, people with Group M HIV-1 can live long and healthy lives.
Antiretroviral therapy drugs are the primary and only treatment for HIV-1 Group M infections. Until Antiretroviral therapy (ART) was invented, Group M infections were nearly always fatal. ART has resulted in a significant reduction in infection rates and deaths and has saved tens of millions of lives since 2000.
ART is usually administered as a combination of drugs and it may take some time to determine the best combination for your infection. However, anyone who has been diagnosed with a Group M HIV-1 infection should begin ART immediately.
Because Group M infections affect everyone differently, not everyone will receive the same combination of medications. However, anyone with an HIV-1 Group M infection will receive two or more of the following ART medications based on how the virus is affecting you and what mechanisms are necessary to combat it.
NNRTIs, such as doravirine and efavirenz, withhold essential proteins from the Group M virus so that it cannot replicate.
NRTIs, such as abacavir and zidovudine, get into the virus and fight it from the inside out, thus keeping it from replicating.
PIs, such as darunavir and atazanavir, work similarly to NNRTIs in that they don’t allow the virus to replicate by withholding an essential protease protein.
As with protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, such as cobotegravir and raltegravir, withhold integrase from the HIV virus. This prevents the virus from entering your white blood cells and destroying them.
As with integrase inhibitors, entry and fusion inhibitors keep the virus from entering and destroying your white blood cells.
There’s no doubt that ART is the best and only treatment that can mitigate the effects of HIV-1 Group M viruses and prolong an infected person’s life. However, as with all medications, ART can have unwanted side effects that may require additional treatments and medications.
Until combination ART was invented and became the standard treatment for HIV-1 Group M infections, people with the infection lived significantly shortened and uncomfortable lives. While ART can have unwanted side effects, it is essential that anyone with a Group M infection receive a diagnosis and start ART immediately.