Maraviroc Fast-Tracked

A drug from a coming new class of HIV medications has been fast-tracked for review in the United States and Europe. Pfizer's Maraviroc is the first drug to block CCR5, a chemokine receptor that allows HIV to enter T-cells and reproduce. The FDA will consider approving Maraviroc in April, making it possible that the drug may reach U.S. patients by the end of 2007. For patients whose virus is resistant to current drug therapies, Maraviroc cannot come too soon. However, hopes are tempered by recent news from a study that showed once-a-day Maraviroc therapy did not plunge virus levels into the "undetectable" range. The once-a-day study was discontinued, but the twice-a-day study went on. Dose frequency reduction is critical to managing the virus levels in some individuals who cannot adhere to complex dosing schedules.
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