The company Pfizer has developed a new means of therapy for patients with HIV

The company Pfizer has developed a new means of therapy for patients with HIV
6 August, 2007 company Pfizer has received the endorsement of health supervision over the quality of food and drugs USA (FDA) to use a new drug (active ingredient - maravirok) for the treatment of patients with a certain type of HIV (CCR5) already receiving antiviral treatment.

Earlier, in late July 2007, the company Pfizer received a positive opinion of the medicines to treat human (CHMP), a member of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), regarding this product, which will be the first in a new class of HIV therapy: CCR5-antagonists.

The mechanism by which HIV reproduces in the body is: on the surface of human cells for a number of receptors and co-receptors responsible for interaction of cells with different substances and other cells. The virus HIV-1 (the main subspecies virus in the primary infection), like hackers, uses a security hole, connected to co-receptors, called CCR5, and then dissolves the skin cells and let in it its genetic material. Further, the cell starts producing new viruses.

There are people who have co-receptor CCR5 is blocked due to genetically mutate. Such people are resistant to infection with the HIV virus-1. That discovery that mutations in 1996, ran scientists to believe: that if you create a drug that would artificially block these receptors? A few years specialists Pfizer, always ready to support innovative projects, worked on the development of such drugs and have reached this success.

So far, the most effective in treating AIDS was considered antiretroviral therapy: drugs that can inhibit reproduction of the virus through exposure to members of its composition proteins. By using such therapy can be achieved significant success in reducing the quantities of virus in the body, but it has two main disadvantages. First, almost all antiretroviral drugs are toxic, and second, patients often develop resistance (addictive) to the drug - are new, resistant strains of the virus. The new Pfizer drug for a different mechanism of action: it blocks the CCR5 co-receptors and thus prevents the entry of virus into the cell and, accordingly, its spread in the body. It should also be noted that the drug taken inside - it is extremely important, given the duration of therapy.

The research new drugs are involved in these patients with HIV receive the so-called optimized background therapy: the most effective at this time drug regimen using different drugs. It is often received in addition to its new drug, and some - a placebo. Reaching non diagnosis viral load - that is, the decline in the number of HIV in the body that he no longer determined by laboratory methods - managed about twice as many patients receiving the new drug twice a day (in addition to optimized background therapy) than among those , Who received a placebo. In addition, it was found that the frequency of adverse side effects (diarrhea, nausea and headache) when receiving the new medicine is not higher than when receiving placebo.

Currently, the company Pfizer filed an application to market a new medicine around the world. In the U.S., the drug could be available as early as mid-September. In Europe, the positive conclusion of the medicines will be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the power to approve the use of medicines in the European Union. The company Pfizer believes that the final decision will be made in the coming months, after which it will be possible to begin mass production of drugs.

Of course, the new drug Pfizer - not a miracle cure: when applying the virus remains in the body and use the already infected cells. However, the reduction of the number of AIDS translates into a chronic form, in which case, subject to continuing therapy, can live for years, without suffering from the main damaging factors virus - reducing immunity