Pfizer reports on ‘profound’ need for HIV treatments

Pfizer has announced that the regulatory approval of the first drug in a new class of orally-administered HIV medications, while noting that there is an acute need for novel treatments for the condition.

The firm reports that Celsentri (maraviroc) tablets – known as Selzentry in the US – have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as part of a combination antiretroviral treatment of adults with CCR5-tropic HIV-1.

Selzentry has been approved for use in patients with evidence of viral replication whose HIV-1 strains have exhibited resistance to multiple antiretroviral agents.

The compound has a novel mode of action, blocking viral entry into white blood cells to increase T-cell counts and lower viral loads in treatment-experienced patients.

Dr Joseph Feczko, chief medical officer of Pfizer, said: “There is a profound need for new medicines to treat HIV.

“The approval of Selzentry for treatment-experienced patients is a significant breakthrough.”

He added that the company would continue the development of this compound in a wider range of patients suffering from HIV/Aids.

Last month, Celsentri received a positive opinion Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency following the presentation of 24-week data from two Motivate trials.