New anti-AIDS drug unveiled

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: AFP - Yahoo

CHICAGO (AFP) - Pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer Tuesday unveiled a new anti-AIDS drug which it said could help HIV patients stay healthy for longer.
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Selzentry is the first new class of oral HIV medicines to be introduced in more than 10 years, Pfizer said at an annual medical conference in Chicago.

After a 48-week trial, nearly three times as many patients receiving the drug combined with traditional medication recorded undectectable levels of HIV virus, compared with those just getting the normal treatments.

"The safety and durability of response seen with Selzentry ... in our study is reassuring. This drug is an important new weapon for clinicians who treat HIV," said Jacob Lalezari, director of Quest Clinical Research, at the University of California.
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Experts believe the eventual sales of the drug could generate 500 million dollars for Pfizer annually by 2011. The company is also seeking permission for worldwide sales.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070918/hl_afp/healthusdiseasedrugs;_ylt=ArSXgb5gN10cdVmOUixgZIys0NUE

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It's sad that profits are such a factor in medicine.

[bluestateguy]

1. Why does the corporate MSM use the word "unveil" so often?

It's such a media word: unveil.

Congressional leaders "unveiled" a new plan...

President Bush "unveiled" a new proposal...

Who was wearing the veil to begin with?

[Trillo]

5. I take it to mean that it's been sitting on the shelf for some time

with those behind the scenes waiting for the opportunity to announce something publicly. However, behind the scenes, it's been known for some time.

Wasn't there just an Indian researcher that divulged a new drug that would seek out and destroy HIV? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1821943

Therefore, it is time to lift the "veil" covering this next step in the planned economic transference from U.S. HIV patients to the drug companies. Bleed it a little more.

Edited to add: Search engines may also play a part in this, when they claim "unveil", they may really mean "veil" easy to find Internet references to competitors through the technique of burying.

[Avalux]

2. miraviroc. It'll be another weapon to add to the arsenal.

I've seen the clinical trial data and in combination with other anti-retrovirals, will help to slow the virus. It will benefit those with HIV resistant to older drugs - those that target the virus after it's entered the T cell. There are also other new drugs on the horizon - integrase inhibitors in particular. I worked on Merck's and the data looks very promising.

As good as these new classes of drugs seem, they don't eradicate HIV and none work alone. So when reading this rather glowing article, keep in mind Pfizer wants their product to sell, so they make sure it at least sounds better than anything else out there. The new HIV drug pipeline is very competitive right now.

[xchrom]

3. man i love good news like this!

i have buried every friend i had -- every one -- well not the straight ones -- but there were never many of those in my life -- and now there will be those spared what i witnessed and participated in with my dear ones.

[nevergiveup]

4. I can't even begin to

imagine the sorrow and hell you have been through. May the gods of strength continue to be with you.

[xchrom]

6. thank you. n/t

[LeftHander]

7. Good news....now make the drug super cheap for Africa....

And everyone else...heck one new Boner pill can pay for everyone to have free access to this drug.

"The US Food and Drug Administration in August approved the use of Selzentry, which is the first in a class of drugs called CCR5 antagonists. They prevent the virus from entering the body's T-cells, rather than fighting the virus once it is already infected the cells."