HIV Treatment Turns The Corner – Is Prevention Next? What Then?
HIV research is an area that has revitalized R&D in the therapeutic category of virology. Clearly, the severity and wide range of HIV infection and AIDS presented a worldwide public health crisis that triggered a strong urgency for scientific progress in the category. Pharmaceutical firms R&D is now delivering answers, and momentum is increasing. Major advances forecast a vastly different picture of HIV infection in the future than was the case a few decades ago. In some parts of the world, HIV is now considered akin to a chronic disease.
But the virus is formidable, inherently mutability, thus still presents the need for new drugs and new classes, as well as simpler regimens to improve compliance; and there is a debate about what course and measures to take if preventive medication for HIV infection diminishes safe sex practice.
Medmeme, LLC., a global leader in comprehensive, integrated medical and science information database platforms, has released a new syndicated TrendsmemeTM Report: Virology. The report covers, in detailed documentation, charts, and graphs, the activities of pharmaceutical companies, the status and potential of new drugs (and vaccines) revealing the dominant players in R&D and the marketplace as well as relevant issues and developments in HIV treatment. It explains the broader, current status of the virology therapeutic area and major trends driving change and influencing R&D success (including for HCV and HPV). Acquisition of smaller firms with promising products in pipelines is bolstering competitive positioning of major players in efforts to deliver new HIV treatments.
Companies discussed in the report are classified by the character and strength of their involvement with HIV treatments (and other virology topics). They include, among others: Abbott Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GeoVax, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Inovio, Jannsen, Merck & Co, Pharmasett, Pfizer, Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Roche, Sangamo BioSciences, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
The most recommended line of treatment for HIV is through highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which involves taking a regimen of three or more anti-HIV drugs from at least two different drug classes. Gilead enjoys a wide lead over other companies in its sales of anti-HIV drugs. The company created a worldwide network of groups to bolster its technology and innovation that has lead to advantageous positioning. Its new Quad Pill, a once-daily single tablet regimen of elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for treatment of HIV-1 infection is set for an FDA review target date of August 27, 2012.
Despite the amount of research and development for HIV treatment, there is still great opportunity for companies to bring more to the table in terms of safe, effective medications that enhance longevity and quality of life. The goal that has yet to be achieved is development of safe and effective vaccines. The National Institutes of health (NIH) lists more than 5,000 HIV/AIDS clinical trials in all phases intended to address unmet needs.
A total of 88 drugs27 of which are vaccinesin company HIV/AIDS pipelines are in clinical trials or waiting for FDA approval, according to a recent industry group report. And scientific data from the Medmeme database reports that nearly 200 papers were presented at medical meetings worldwide on the topic of HIV vaccines in each of the three most recent years. Of the leading anti-HIV pharmaceutical manufacturers, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck both sponsored a major number of these presentations. The Medmeme database indicates both companies are also dominate in the number of current clinical trials, as listed by NIH.
The syndicated TrendsmemeTM Report : Virology can be purchased separately, or, along with other MedMeme reports, at discounted pricing.