PFIZER DRUG REDUCES HIV VIRAL LOAD IN COMBINATION THERAPY

At a recent HIV/AIDS research meeting, Pfizer presented data on its experimental medicine maraviroc, which tackles HIV in a new way, the company said. A 24-week analysis showed that approximately twice as many patients receiving maraviroc with an optimized background regimen achieved undetectable virus in the blood than if an optimized regimen was given alone.

In addition, patients receiving maraviroc and an optimized regimen saw an increase in CD4 cells nearly twice that seen in those receiving an optimized regimen alone. Adverse events in the group receiving maraviroc plus an optimized regimen were similar to those receiving an optimized regimen alone, when adjusted for duration of exposure.

If approved, maraviroc would be the first new oral class of HIV medicines in more than a decade, the firm said. Maraviroc is an oral medicine that blocks viral entry to human cells. Rather than fighting HIV inside white blood cells, it prevents the virus from entering uninfected cells by blocking its predominant entry route, the CCR5 co-receptor.

The latest results were analyzed at 24 weeks from the ongoing multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIb/III MOTIVATE trials (Maraviroc Plus Optimized Therapy in Viremic Antiretroviral Treatment Experienced Patients).