More than 80 new HIV/AIDS medicines in development
The pharmaceutical industry is continuing its search for effective ways to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, with 83 new medicines in development, according to a new survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
The pharmaceutical industry is continuing its search for effective ways to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, with 83 new medicines in development, according to a new survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
'In addition to the 80 medicines already approved, these new medicines in the pipeline demonstrate the pharmaceutical research industry's commitment to combat this terrible scourge,' said PhRMA president Alan F. Holmer.
The medicines in development, all of which are either in human clinical trials or are awaiting approval by the FDA, include 15 vaccines. One vaccine in development is designed to induce different types of immune response, enhancing the overall immune response. The first dose primes the body to induce cellular immunity, while the booster dose induces neutralising antibodies. Another vaccine candidate combines DNA snippets from the AIDS virus with a protein that boosts the immune response. The aim is not to prevent infection but to limit the damage the virus causes.
Examples of other AIDS medicines in the pipeline include the first integrase inhibitor, which is designed to block an enzyme that the virus needs to make copies of itself; an antisense gene therapy that uses two novel techniques to boost immune responsiveness against HIV; an antifungal that is the first in a new class of medicines known as echinocandins. The drug targets the wall of invasive fungal cells that often attack the weakening immune systems of AIDS patients.