U.K. treatment experienced HIV patients now have access to Pfizer's Celsentri (maraviroc). Approved for use in the U.S since August 2006, maraviroc is the first new oral class HIV treatment in over 10 years.
The drug works in a new way in that it blocks the virus entry into human immune cells preventing HIV from entering and replicating. Previous treatments work on the HIV virus once it has entered the immune cells. Maraviroc now allows doctors to build a treatment regime that treats both aspects; the body and the virus.
Dr David Gillen, Medical Director at Pfizer Limited, comments: “Maraviroc is Pfizer’s pioneering contribution to the fight against HIV / AIDS. It represents cutting edge science and is a significant innovation in the treatment of HIV infection. We are proud of this achievement and will continue to work tirelessly to discover and develop other medicines for difficult to treat diseases”.
In clinical trials maraviroc was found to significantly reduce the level of virus circulating in the blood stream and increasing the number of immune cells.
[Source: Dog Flu Diet]
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