Schering-Plough extends vicriviroc trial

Schering-Plough has announced the extension of an ongoing trial with its investigational CCR5 antagonist vicriviroc.

The organisation said that the treatment is for use in first-line therapy of drug-naive adult patients with HIV who have the R5-type virus.

Under the terms of the new trial, the drug is being analysed in a nucleoside-sparing regimen aimed at providing new options for patients who are treatment-naive in a once-daily course of treatment, as well as preserving other drug classes for further therapy.

Dr Joseph Gathe, lead investigator on the study, said that CCR5 antagonists like vicriviroc could play a “unique role” as healthcare professionals develop new treatment regimens for HIV in order to meet their patients’ needs.

“A class-sparing vicriviroc regimen for initial treatment could potentially expand options for patients by offering a new first-line therapy,” he added.

Earlier this month, Schering-Plough announced that a single injection of corifollitropin alfa provided patients with similar results to recombinant follicle stimulating hormone when administered once daily for seven days.