Nucleosides that have two hydroxy groups removed from the sugar moiety. The majority of these compounds have broad-spectrum antiretroviral activity due to their action as antimetabolites. The nucleosides are phosphorylated intracellularly to their 5'-triphosphates and act as chain-terminating inhibitors of viral reverse transcription.

Synonyms: 0, ddNus, 2',3' Dideoxynucleosides, Dideoxyribonucleosides, 2',3'-Dideoxynucleosides, Dideoxynucleosides