abacavir

== English == === Etymology === From [Term?] +‎ -cavir (“carbocyclic nucleoside”). (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈbak.əˌvɪə/ (General American) IPA(key): /əˈbæk.əˌvɪɹ/ === Noun === abacavir (uncountable, abbreviation ABC) (pharmacology) An antiretroviral drug (trademark Ziagen) taken orally in the form of its sulfate (C14H18N6O)2·H2SO4 in combination with other antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV infections. It is a synthetic nucleoside analog that acts by inhibiting reverse transcriptase. It causes potentially serious hypersensitivity reactions in a small percentage of patients. ==== Hypernyms ==== antiretroviral ==== Translations ==== === References === Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses, (Can we date this quote?) “abacavir”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.