dideoxyinosine (ddI) /dī′dē·oksē·in″ōsēn/ , an antiretroviral drug used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infections. ddI inhibits the enzyme reverse transcriptase, thereby restricting viral replication activity. Inside the body, ddI is converted to dideoxyadenosine, which becomes incorporated into the deoxyribonucleic acid chain, interrupting its normal sequence and making viral replication impossible. Also called didanosine.
