AZT

abbreviation (Health and Fitness) Short for azidothymidine, a drug used in the treatment of Aids to stop the virus HIV from replicating itself within the patient's body; now officially known as Zidovudine. Etymology: The first two letters of azido- combined with the initial letter of thymidine. History and Usage: Azidothymidine was developed in the US during the mid seventies, before Aids became a problem, but was always intended as a retrovirus inhibitor. When HIV was identified as the probable cause of Aids in the mid eighties, its applicability to this virus was tested and it was found that it could prolong the life of Aids patients by preventing the virus from copying itself and so reducing the patients' susceptibility to infections. This discovery led to its being promoted in the press as a 'wonder drug' and even as a cure for Aids, although its testers continued to emphasize the fact that it was only capable of slowing down the development of the disease. Once the drug was in use for treating Aids, the name azidothymidine was usually abbreviated to AZT. This is still the name by which the drug is known colloquially, despite the fact that its official name has been changed to Zidovudine. The company has been sharply criticized for the cost of AZT, and recently cut the price by 20 per cent. An adult with AIDS now pays about $6,500 a year for the drug. New York Times 26 Oct. 1989, section A, p. 22