In the news ... 2006 archive

Expanded Access Program Opens for New Integrase Inhibitor, MK-0518

September 8, 2006

The U.S. enrollment for the expanded access program (EAP) of Merck’s experimental integrase inhibitor, MK-0518, opens today September 8, 2006. The EAP was announced in August at the International AIDS Conference (see article here). To qualify people must be unable to fully suppress viral load with existing HIV drugs and be able to show resistance to at least one drug from the NRTI, NNRTI and PI classes.

People interested in the MK-0518 EAP should visit one of the following websites: www.benchmrk.com or www.earmrk.com. Please note the spelling of the web addresses. The benchmrk site has information on both clinical trials and the EAP for MK-0518. The earmrk site is only for the EAP.

MK-0518 is expected to be the first-in-class integrase inhibitor. Integrase inhibitors work differently than other HIV drugs. Integrase is the name of an enzyme (a kind of protein) that HIV used to mix its genetic material with an immune cell’s own genes. Integrase inhibitors attempt to interfere with this process.

Data from studies of MK-0518 were presented at both this year’s Retrovirus and International AIDS Conferences. More data are expected at this year’s ICAAC, being held in San Francisco later in September.