DDI

abbreviation Also written DDI (Health and Fitness) Short for dideoxyinosine, a drug which has been tested for use in the treatment of Aids. Etymology: The initial letters of Di-, Deoxy-, and Inosine. History and Usage: The compound dideoxyinosine was first synthesized in the mid seventies in connection with cancer research; in the late eighties it was suggested that it should be tried as an alternative to AZT (Zidovudine) in treating people with Aids. It was successfully tested in clinical trials in the US in 1989 and trials in the UK followed in 1990. Like AZT, ddI prevents the Aids virus HIV from replicating itself within the body. Almost 20 times as many people have flocked to free distributions of the new drug DDI than have signed up for the clinical trial. New York Times 21 Nov. 1989, section A, p. 1 The UK trial of ddI will be accompanied by a similar trial in France. Lancet 10 Mar. 1990, p. 596 DDI may offer an alternative treatment to the many people with AIDS who cannot tolerate zidovudine. New Scientist 26 May 1990, p. 32