Pfizer's Maraviroc to Receive Accelerated Regulatory Reviews in the U.S. and Europe
13 Februar 2007 - 1:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
If Approved, Maraviroc will be the First in a New Class of
Medications Available for HIV Treatment NEW YORK, Feb. 13
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pfizer announced today that marketing
authorization applications for maraviroc will receive accelerated
review in both the United States and Europe. Accelerated reviews
are granted to potential medicines that, if approved, would
represent significant improvements over current therapies. If
approved by the regulatory agencies, maraviroc will be the first in
a new class of HIV/AIDS treatments called CCR5 antagonists that
work by blocking viral entry. Rather than fighting HIV inside white
blood cells, CCR5 antagonists prevent the virus produced by
infected cells from entering uninfected cells by blocking its
predominant entry route, the CCR5 co- receptor. "There is a
profound global need for new medicines to help HIV/AIDS patients,"
said John LaMattina, president, Pfizer Global Research and
Development. "We expect that CCR5 antagonists, like maraviroc, will
become critically important new treatment options for patients who
are resistant or intolerant to their current HIV/AIDS therapies."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) priority review process
takes place within a six-month period. Pfizer submitted the U.S.
and EU maraviroc marketing applications in December 2006. An FDA
Advisory Panel is scheduled for April 24. Pfizer has begun pursuing
regulatory approval for maraviroc in other countries to enable
broad access to the drug. Moving with Urgency The discovery of
maraviroc dates back to 1997 when Pfizer research scientists in
Sandwich, UK designed the molecule following the publication of two
significant research findings. A study was published in 1996 that
described resistance to HIV-1 infection in certain Caucasian
subjects, and in the same year, another journal reported the
binding of HIV to the CCR5 receptor. Scientists noted that about
one percent of Europeans who lacked the genes for CCR5 receptors
were the very ones who were resistant to acquiring HIV infection.
This finding suggested that blocking the virus's entry through this
gateway may lead to a breakthrough therapy. Based on these emerging
scientific insights and patient need, the maraviroc team
significantly accelerated development time. "This is the kind of
targeted science that underscores our commitment to research and
development in a range of infectious diseases where there is high
human cost due to drug resistance," said Dr. Ethan Weiner, senior
vice president, Pfizer Global Research and Development. "Maraviroc
is an outstanding example of rapid development and continuous
innovation through which Pfizer researchers quickly translated a
scientific hypothesis into a promising compound in this area of
great medical need." Maraviroc is the seventh Pfizer new drug
application to receive "Priority Review" status from the FDA over
the past two years. Other priority review FDA approvals include
Sutent for advanced kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal
tumors, Chantix for smoking cessation, Revatio for pulmonary
arterial hypertension, and Macugen for age-related macular
degeneration which can lead to blindness in elderly patients.
Pivotal Trials The marketing applications follow Pfizer's review of
efficacy and safety data from two pivotal phase 3 trials. The
trials, MOTIVATE-1 and 2 (Maraviroc plus Optimized Therapy In
Viremic Antiretroviral Treatment-Experienced patients), represent
24-week data comparing Optimized Background Therapy, with or
without maraviroc, in over 1,000 highly treatment-experienced
patients with CCR5-tropic HIV-1. These study results have been
accepted for presentation at an upcoming HIV conference. In
addition, the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for
maraviroc met on January 15, 2007 and continues to monitor the
ongoing clinical program. The DSMB recommended that the maraviroc
Phase 3 registrational trials, in both treatment-na�ve and
treatment-experienced patients, continue as currently designed.
Update on Expanded Access Program In December 2006, Pfizer
announced plans to establish a multi-national Expanded Access
Program to provide maraviroc to patients with limited available
treatment options based on its safety and efficacy observed in
clinical trials to date. The program is now open for enrollment
with a target to enroll patients from over 30 countries. Through
partnerships and focused philanthropic efforts, Pfizer strives to
support HIV prevention efforts, build improved healthcare
infrastructure, and further access to HIV/AIDS medicines. Current
initiatives include the U.S. Southern States HIV/AIDS Prevention
Initiative; the building of the Infectious Disease Institute in
Kampala, Uganda; the Pfizer Global Health Fellows Program; and the
Diflucan(R) Partnership Program. For more information on these and
other Pfizer initiatives, go to http://www.pfizer.com/. DISCLOSURE
NOTICE: The information contained in this release is as of February
13, 2007. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result
of new information or future events or developments. This release
contains forward-looking information that involves substantial
risks and uncertainties regarding a product candidate, including
its potential benefits, that is under review by the United States
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines
Evaluation Agency (EMEA) and certain other regulatory authorities.
Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, whether
and when the FDA, the EMEA and other regulatory authorities will
approve the product candidate, their decisions regarding labeling
and other matters that could affect its availability or commercial
potential, as well as competitive developments. A further list and
description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2005 and in its reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. DATASOURCE:
Pfizer Inc CONTACT: Shreya Prudlo, +1-212-733-4889 Web site:
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