emtricitabine

A synthetic nucleoside analogue of cytidine with activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (RT). Emtricitabine is phosphorylated by cellular enzymes to form emtricitabine 5′-triphosphate. Emtricitabine 5′-triphosphate inhibits the activity of HIV-1 RT by competing with the RT natural substrate deoxycytidine 5′-triphosphate and by being incoprorated into nascent viral DNA which results in the termination of viral DNA chain elongation.