Studies show maraviroc effective against resistant virus Options

[Root Admin]

The MOTIVATE 1 and 2 studies sponsored by Pfizer, Inc., maker of the HIV drug maraviroc, found the drug to be effective in treating people who have developed resistance to other classes of HIV drugs.

Maraviroc (Selzentry) is the second and most recent drug available in a developing class of antiretroviral drugs known as entry inhibitors. Different from any of the other classes of drugs, entry inhibitors actually target the receptors that HIV use to enter into the cell. HIV uses two different types of receptors, maraviroc targets the CCR5 receptors.

In these studies, which enrolled 1,049 people in Australia, Europe and North America, two separate cohorts received a standard HIV regimen. One of the groups, however, was also given maraviroc, while the other was given placebo (or sugar pill).

The study criteria required that participants be resistant to three classes of the six currently available classes of HIV drugs. At 48-weeks, at least 42% of the people in the group actually receiving maraviroc as a part of their combination drug therapy showed viral loads below levels thought to be harmful to the immune system, compared to 18% of the participants receiving placebo.

No unusual side effects were reported among participants receiving maraviroc, and although the drug’s label warns against possible liver problems, no liver related concerns were reported.

Data from the study’s 96-week mark are currently being examined and may be presented as early as November.