Maraviroc for Initial Treatment of HIV Infection — MERIT Reexamined

Maraviroc proved noninferior to efavirenz among treatment-naive patients but is still unlikely to see much use in this population.

The FDA recently approved the CCR5 inhibitor maraviroc for HIV-infected treatment-naive patients (JW AIDS Clin Care Dec 7 2009) based on data from the manufacturer-sponsored MERIT trial. These data were previously reported at two major conferences (JW AIDS Clin Care Sep 10 2007 and Nov 10 2008) and have now been published.

The MERIT trial was a randomized comparison of once-daily maraviroc, twice-daily maraviroc, and efavirenz, each in combination with AZT/3TC. Patients were eligible for participation if they were treatment-naive and had only CCR5-tropic virus at screening, as determined by the first-generation coreceptor tropism assay.

Of 1730 patients screened, 26% did not have an evaluable tropism result, and an additional 13% had CXCR4-us…

Reviewing Author

Charles B. Hicks, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardGilead Sciences; ViiV; Merck

RoyaltiesUpToDate, Inc.

Grant / Research supportNIH; Department of Health and Human Services

Charles B. Hicks, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardGilead Sciences; ViiV; Merck

RoyaltiesUpToDate, Inc.

Grant / Research supportNIH; Department of Health and Human Services

Maraviroc for Initial Treatment of HIV Infection — MERIT Reexamined

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Reviewing Author