FDA Approves Merck’s Pifeltro (doravirine) for the Treatment of HIV-1 in Appropriate Patients

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pifeltro (doravirine, 100 mg), a new non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) to be administered in combination with other antiretroviral medicines. Pifeltro is indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adult patients with no prior antiretroviral treatment experience, and is administered orally once daily with or without food. Pifeltro does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS.

The FDA also approved Delstrigo, a once-daily fixed-dose combination tablet of doravirine (100 mg), lamivudine (3TC, 300 mg) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF, 300 mg).

Pifeltro is contraindicated when co-administered with drugs that are strong cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A enzyme inducers as significant decreases in doravirine plasma concentrations may occur, which may decrease the effectiveness of Pifeltro.

FDA Approves Merck’s Pifeltro (doravirine) for the Treatment of HIV-1 in Appropriate Patients