New Classes, New Agents: Changing the Paradigm of Antiretroviral Treatment?

Raltegravir (the first integrase inhibitor) and maraviroc (the first CCR5 inhibitor) are both effective and well tolerated in highly treatment-experienced patients.

Investigators at the 14th Retrovirus Conference presented compelling data from international phase III studies of two new drugs from two new classes: raltegravir (the first integrase inhibitor) and maraviroc (the first CCR5 inhibitor). Both drugs are highly effective in patients with extensive treatment failure, are likely to have similar activity in treatment-naive individuals, are well tolerated, and do not require pharmacokinetic boosting with ritonavir. The results presented here in treatment-experienced patients are so promising that these agents may upend the current paradigm of two NRTIs plus a boosted PI or NNRTI for HIV treatment.

Raltegravir

In the BENCHMRK-1 and -2 trials, 699 heavily treatment-experienced patients (mean viral load…

Author

Judith Feinberg, MD

New Classes, New Agents: Changing the Paradigm of Antiretroviral Treatment?

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