Fosamprenavir is a prodrug that is rapidly hydrolyzed to amprenavir by cellular phosphatases in the gut epithelium as it is absorbed. Amprenavir is an inhibitor of HIV-1 protease. During HIV replication, HIV protease cleaves viral polypeptide products of the Gag and Gag-Pol genes to form structural proteins of the virion core and essential viral enzymes. Amprenavir interferes with this process by binding to the active site of HIV-1 protease, thereby preventing the processing of viral Gag and Gag-Pol polyprotein precursors, resulting in the formation of immature non-infectious viral particles.

Fosamprenavir is a pro-drug of the protease inhibitor and antiretroviral drug amprenavir. It has little or no antiviral activity until it is hydrolyzed by cellular phosphatases into amprenavir, which is the active ingredient. That metabolization increases the duration that amprenavir is available, making fosamprenavir a slow-release version of amprenavir and thus reducing the number of pills required versus standard amprenavir.

In the gut epithelium during absorption, fosamprenavir is rapidly and almost completely hydrolyzed to amprenavir and inorganic phosphate prior to reaching the systemic circulation. Amprenavir is metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme system.

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