Maraviroc: integration of a new antiretroviral drug class into clinical practice.
Maraviroc (Pfizer's UK-427857, Selzentry or Celsentri outside the US) is the first agent in the new class of oral HIV-1 entry inhibitors to acquire FDA and EMEA approval. It is expected that this drug will be effective only in a subpopulation of HIV-1-infected people, namely those harbouring only the R5 virus. The wide use of this drug is currently hampered by the lack of a readily available R5 virus only determination test (tropism test) and by insufficient scientific insight into the dynamics of R5 and X4 viruses during infection. We discuss the challenges associated with the currently available assay, as well as the potential role of alternative assays.
Vandekerckhove
Linos
L
AIDS Reference Centre, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. linos.vandekerckhove@ugent.be
Verhofstede
Chris
C
Vogelaers
Dirk
D
D065100:CCR5 Receptor Antagonists; D003510:Cyclohexanes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D023581:HIV Fusion Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D000077592:Maraviroc; D014230:Triazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods
D065100:CCR5 Receptor Antagonists; D003510:Cyclohexanes; D023581:HIV Fusion Inhibitors; D014230:Triazoles; D000077592:Maraviroc