Pfizer Inc (PFE)

[ragraham]

Pfizer's maraviroc in "cure for HIV" drug category.

Top scientists say a "CCR5 antagonist," if not maraviroc, then a next-generation version of it, could be part of the long-awaited cure for HIV.

Some background:

Mutations in human genes cause muscular dystrophy, but a mutation in the CCR5 gene has a huge health benefit: people with it are almost completely resistant to HIV infection. Since that discovery was made in 1996, Pfizer and other companies have become focused on developing a treatment that mimics the effects of a CCR5 mutation.

Here is a summary I wrote describing CCR5 antagonists and the race for a cure for HIV: http://bit.ly/OGbWQn