HIV Fusion and Cell Entry

Media Release
News from the XlVth International Aids Conference (lAC)
Latest studies show:
Embargoed until 0900 hours CET 9 July
Majority of HIV Patients Find New Injectable Fusion Inhibitor T-20
(enfuvirtide) Easy to Use
T-20 can be used in different injection sites without inhibiting drug delivery
Barcelona, Spain, July 9 - The majority of patients taking the novel investigational
fusion inhibitor T-20 have reported that the drug's subcutaneous self-injections do not
disrupt their daily activities. Over 500 patients were surveyed in two ongoing
international phase III studies. After 8 weeks of therapy, 65% reported that T-20 was
either 'very easy' (27%) or 'easy' (38%) to use. To assess whether taking the drug
impacted their daily routines, patients were asked if twice daily self-injections
influenced familiar routines of work, sleep, recreation, social life, travel, intimacy, and
privacy. This will be welcome news to those patients who have developed resistance
to most of the currently available drugs and will be considering optimising their
therapy and using T-20.
Unlike existing AIDS drugs which work once the HIV virus has entered the human cell,
T-20 works in a completely new way in that it blocks HIV from entering CD4 cells of
the immune system.
The addition of T-20 on top of conventional optimised therapy is expected to become
a key treatment component helping physicians optimise therapy in previously treated
HIV patients, as it helps the body's immune cells (CD4 cells) from further depletion by
facilitating the reduction of the amount of HIV virus in the blood that can destroy these
cells.
"We are pleased that patients who are used to taking numerous tablets every day find

T-20 acceptable," reported Dr. David Reddy, Disease Area Head, HIV/AIDS, Roche.
"We had hoped that the injectable formulation would not pose a major problem as
millions of people with Type 1 diabetes give themselves up to 6 daily injections of

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