Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0032285 (pneumonia)
 54,520 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Enfuvirtide is the first of a new class of drugs, the fusion inhibitors. It is a synthetic peptide which binds to the HIV glycoprotein 41 (gp41), blocking fusion of the viral and cellular membranes. HIV isolates with reduced susceptibility to enfuvirtide have been recovered from patients receiving enfuvirtide in combination with other antiretroviral agents. Enfuvirtide 90mg (subcutaneously, twice daily) in combination with optimised background (OB) antiretroviral therapy significantly reduced plasma HIV RNA levels compared with OB alone after treatment for 24 weeks in two randomised trials involving adults with advanced HIV infection. The antiviral efficacy of enfuvirtide was maintained through to 48 weeks. At 24 and 48 weeks, the increase from baseline in the CD4+ cell count was significantly greater for patients receiving enfuvirtide plus OB than for those receiving OB alone. Enfuvirtide 30 mg/m(2) or 60 mg/m(2) in combination with other antiretroviral agents reduced plasma HIV RNA levels and increased CD4+ cell counts in a small trial involving paediatric patients with HIV infection. Local injection-site reactions were common. Lymphadenopathy and pneumonia occurred more often in patients receiving enfuvirtide plus OB than in the control group. The incidence of most other events was similar in each group.
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PMID:Enfuvirtide. 1466 54

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new type of drug to treat advanced HIV-1 infection in adults and children six and older. The drug is called Fuzeon and it's the first of the so-called 'fusion inhibitor' drugs to be approved anywhere in the world. Fusion inhibitors work by inhibiting the fusion of viral and target cellular membranes, thus blocking the HIV ability to infect cells. Fuzeon's generic name is efuvirtide and it will be distributed by Roche Pharmaceuticals and Trimeris. Fuzeon is the first new class of AIDS treatment approved by the FDA in seven years. But Fuzeon will be expensive, maker sets a price of 20,000 US dollars a year, topping experts' estimated of 10,000 US dollars to 15,000 US dollars. In addition, the medication will come with a warning, its label will advise doctors to carefully monitor patients for signs of pneumonia. During the trial, more patients using Fuzeon can also cause severe allergic reactions, and skin reactions at the injection site occurred in almost all patients. Co-developed by Roche and Trimeris, a biopharmaceutical company, Fuzeon is expected to provide new hope to AIDS patients who have developed a resistance to existing medications.
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PMID:[Fuzeon, first of the so-called "fusion inhibitor" drug in new class of AIDS treatments and its warnings]. 1567 39

Enfuvirtide is beneficial in patients with limited treatment options. We report this case to highlight the possibility of a delayed hypersensitivity reaction as an important potential side-effect of enfuvirtide treatment. A highly antiretroviral treatment-experienced man was commenced on a new regimen containing enfuvirtide. Prophylaxis for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia was started using trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (TMP-STX) simultaneously. Ten days later, he developed a maculopapular rash on the chest and abdomen without any systemic features. Both enfuvirtide and TMP-STX were discontinued. Re-introduction of enfuvirtide occurred in a hospital setting. Before re-challenge, haemodynamic observations were stable. The rash re-appeared involving the whole body 5 hours post-dose and was associated with fever (temperature 38.4), nausea and a presyncopal episode. Hypersensitivity to this drug occurred immediately post-dose in phase III trials. Enfuvirtide is a useful drug in those with reduced drug options. The possibility of delayed hypersensitivity has not been reported previously.
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PMID:A delayed hypersensitivity reaction to enfuvirtide after rechallenge. 1930 81