World
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
FDA approves Fuzeon
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Roche and Trimeris's HIV entry inhibitor Fuzeon, making the drug the first entry inhibitor ever to hit the U.S. market. Trimeris and Roche officials say they plan to begin shipping Fuzeon in late March or early April. The FDA based its approval on an analysis of six months of data from two ongoing clinical trials of Fuzeon involving about 1,000 patients who were experiencing resistance to other anti-HIV medications. The data from this analysis showed that the addition of Fuzeon to a combination of other antiretroviral medications reduced blood-based HIV viral loads.
AIDS activists, however, are anxiously awaiting final word from the drug companies on the cost of the medication. The recent announcement that the drug will cost more than $20,000 per patient per year in Europe has U.S. health care providers and HIV-positive people concerned that the U.S. price will make the drug unaffordable for many low-income, uninsured, or underinsured patients. The expected high cost of the drug also may keep Medicaid programs and state-managed AIDS Drug Assistance Programs from covering it. "We don't think we can add Fuzeon [to our drug list] without cutting something else," Michael Montgomery, head of California's ADAP, told The [Raleigh, N.C.] News & Observer. "We are excited about the drug, but we aren't sure we can afford it." The drug developers say the high cost of the medication is due to its difficult manufacturing process.
Fuzeon, previously known as T-20, is the world's first HIV entry inhibitor. The drug works by preventing HIV from being able to attach to receptors on the surface of T cells, thereby preventing infection. All other existing HIV drugs work by interfering with HIV replication in cells already infected with the virus. The injectable medication was designed as a treatment for patients who have failed other anti-HIV regimens. A Fuzeon follow-up product, called T-1249, is currently in development and has been shown in clinical trials to reduce viral levels in patients who have developed resistance to other anti-HIV medications, including Fuzeon.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Ohio court temporarily blocks ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth
April 16 2024 5:33 PM
How library workers are defending books, democracy, and queer lives
April 16 2024 4:38 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedKentucky couldn't pass a single anti-LGBTQ+ bill this session — and it's not alone
April 16 2024 2:35 PM
West Virginia can’t ban transgender athletes says federal court
April 16 2024 2:32 PM