The Bottom Line on Isentress

On Oct. 12, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Isentress, the first member of a new class of meds called integrase inhibitors. Isentress is also known generically as raltegravir, and during its early development was called MK-0518. To find out more about Isentress and how it might impact treatment for HIV-positive people, we spoke with Dr. David Wohl, an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and the co-director of HIV services for the North Carolina Department of Corrections. Dr. Wohl has participated in research on Isentress, and has also received research funding from Merck and Company, which developed Isentress. This is Part I of an update on Isentress.