A nurse is administering a drug that blocks the protease enzyme so new viral particles cannot mature. which category of drugs is the nurse most likely administering

The right answer is antiviral drug, subclass of virus protease inhibitors (for HIV (antiretroviral agent), herpesvirus, hepatitis C virus and rhinovirus).

HIV protease is an enzyme of the virus. It has a central role in the viral cycle, by performing proteolytic cleavage of different peptide precursors. This action allows the production of both structural and functional proteins, necessary and indispensable for the formation of new viruses.

HIV protease inhibitors are all peptidomimetics. They bind to the active site of the viral protease, and prevent it from catalyzing the cleavage of the virus polypeptides. Since protein processing is impaired, the virions formed are inactive and non-infectious.