Players in the anti-retroviral drugs market are increasingly implementing multi-class combination products for treatment of anti-retroviral therapy. Combination drugs combine multiple medications into one drug form. Example for multiclass combination drugs or single-tablet regimens (STRs), include both NRTIs and NNRTIs: doravirine, lamivudine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Delstrigo). Based on drug class, drugs are segmented into Integrase Inhibitors, Protease Inhibitors, Multi-class Combination Products, Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs), Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs), and others. Multi-class Combination Products is the rising burden of HIV and new drug approval. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 770,000 people died from HIV in 2018. Many companies are focusing on developing breakthrough products for the treatment through antiretroviral drugs in order to maintain their competitive advantage and penetrate new regional markets.

The HIV drugs market consists of sales of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) drugs used for the treatment of HIV infection/AIDS. The market consists of revenue generated by the antiretroviral drug companies manufacturing the anti-retroviral drugs such as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), entry and fusion inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors (PIs) for the treatment of HIV infection. The global HIV drugs market was valued at about $27.2 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to $32.4 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5% through 2023.

Increasing awareness among people regarding diagnosis and treatment of HIV disease acts as an important driver for the growth of the HIV drug market. HIV/AIDS is one of the most chronic diseases and the high prevalence of the disease in almost all parts of the world has resulted in an unprecedented awareness regarding the disease. According to WHO, 36.7 million people were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2015, whereas, 1.1 million people died of AIDS related illness in the same year. The figure was 770,000 in 2018. Federal government agencies and various associations across the globe have introduced many initiatives and education campaigns for community awareness to address HIV prevention, treatment, and care.

Side effects of HIV drugs have always been a major challenge in anti-retroviral therapy. Anti-retroviral drugs are used to treat HIV and AIDS as these drugs help lower viral load, control the growth of the virus, boosts the ability to fight infections, prevent HIV transmission to others, and help stop or slow down symptoms. These drugs come with both short-term side effects (diarrhea, difficulty in sleeping, dizziness, fatigue, headache, muscle pain) and long-term side effects (depression, diabetes, heart disease, insomnia). However, there are several side effects associated with the therapy, thus impacting the growth of the market.