title: Raltegravir: the first HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor in the HIV armamentarium.
abstract: Raltegravir is the first integrase strand transfer inhibitor approved for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. As the first agent in this new class of antiretroviral therapies, raltegravir has demonstrated safety and efficacy in treatment-naive as well as heavily pretreated HIV-infected patients failing therapy with multidrug-resistant virus. Raltegravir has a favorable drug interaction profile that permits both administration to a wide, demographically diverse patient population and coadministration with many other therapeutic agents, including antiretroviral agents and supportive medications, without restrictions or dose adjustment. Data through 96 weeks of follow-up in three phase III studies, protocol 021 (STARTMRK) in treatment-naive patients, and protocols 018 (BENCHMRK-1) and 019 (BENCHMRK-2) in treatment-experienced patients, demonstrated the potent and durable antiretroviral and immunologic effects and the favorable long-term safety profile of raltegravir in both treatment-naive and treatment-experienced patients. Raltegravir represents an important addition to the current armamentarium for the treatment of HIV infection.
authors: ISENTRESS Discovery and Development Team, Merck Research Laboratories, North Wales, Pennsylvania 19454-1099, USA. bachyen_nguyen@merck.com
authors: Bach-Yen T
authors: BY
authors: Nguyen
authors: Robin D
authors: RD
authors: Isaacs
authors: Hedy
authors: H
authors: Teppler
authors: Randi Y
authors: RY
authors: Leavitt
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Sklar
authors: Marian
authors: M
authors: Iwamoto
authors: Larissa A
authors: LA
authors: Wenning
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Miller
authors: Joshua
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Ramon
authors: R
authors: Kemp
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Xu
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Fromtling
authors: Joseph P
authors: JP
authors: Vacca
authors: Steven D
authors: SD
authors: Young
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Rowley
authors: Michael W
authors: MW
authors: Lower
authors: Keith M
authors: KM
authors: Gottesdiener
authors: Daria J
authors: DJ
authors: Hazuda
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019427:HIV Integrase / Q000378:metabolism; D019428:HIV Integrase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068898:Raltegravir Potassium; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D019428:HIV Integrase Inhibitors; D011760:Pyrrolidinones; D000068898:Raltegravir Potassium; D019427:HIV Integrase; C514801:p31 integrase protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1