GSK572 — A “Next-Generation” Integrase Inhibitor?

Few drugs are currently in the pipeline for HIV treatment, but one that appears promising is the Shionogi/GlaxoSmithKline HIV integrase inhibitor 1349572 (hereafter referred to as “GSK572”). Early data on the drug were presented at the 5th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.

Jacob Lalezari and colleagues conducted a phase IIa, dose-ranging, randomized study among 35 HIV-infected patients who were naive to integrase-inhibitor therapy [Abstract TUAB105]. For 10 days, patients received placebo or one of three doses of GSK572 monotherapy once daily (2 mg, 10 mg, or 50 mg). In the group receiving 50 mg, viral loads declined by an average of almost 2.5 log copies/mL, with 7 of 10 persons reaching <50 copies/mL at the end …