What’s the big deal? For one, both are novel. Two, they’ve done well in studies. This means patients will have new options, which is especially important for those who develop resistance to existing treatments.

“This is really a remarkable development in the field,” John Mellors of the University of Pittsburgh said at a news conference at the 14th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Los Angeles.

One drug, called maraviroc, was developed by Pfizer, which has already applied for FDA approval. An advisory committee meeting is set for April 24. The other drug, raltegravir, was developed by Merck, which has said it will apply in the second quarter for FDA approval.

Here is some of the coverage:

The New York Times
The Los Angeles Times
The Wall Street Journal*

*subscription required

[tags]AIDS, Merck, Pfizer[/tags]