Heme arginate, commonly used to treat acute porphyrias, stimulates latent HIV-1 virus in HIV + patients. In addition, it inhibits HIV-1 reverse transcription and replication in infected cells and acts as an immunomodulator.
Together with cART, arginate has been shown to reduce the size of the HIV-1 latent reservoir. Heme arginate is useful for treating HIV + patients leading to eliminating HIV-1 from the body.