Cobicistat inhibits the human CYP3A proteins, which are known to degrade important antiretroviral molecules. Cobicistat is thus importantly used in combination with other drugs to help enhance their efficacy.
Cobicistat is effectively eliminate the anti-HIV activity of ritonavir while preserving its inhibitory effects on the CYP3A isozyme family of proteins. Cobicistat is therefore able to increase plasma concentration of other coadministered anti-HIV drugs without the risk of causing cobicistat-resistant mutations in the HIV virus.
FDA-approved since 2015, approved to treat HIV-1 infection.
Benign COVID-19 in an Immunocompromised Cancer Patient - The Case of a Married Couple. Swiss Med Wkly. 2020 Apr 11;150:w20246. DOI: 10.4414/smw.2020.20246.