New anti-HIV drug begins phase II clinical trial

Durham, NC-based Trimeris recently announced that it has begun a Phase II clinical trial for T-20, a new class of anti-viral fusion-inhibiting drugs that block HIV infection. The study will determine the optimal dosing for T-20 as well as the feasibility of its administration via an infusion device developed by MiniMed, a product currently approved for insulin infusion by diabetics.

T-20 is designed to block both virus-to-cell and cell-to-cell membrane fusion, thus preventing a critical early step in the spread of viral infection. Phase I/II clinical trials against HIV infection were completed last year, with the drug demonstrating potent anti-HIV activity and no drug-related adverse effects in the 16 patients tested.

The next trial will enroll 32 HIV-infected patients who have failed existing triple combination therapy.