New HIV drugs that stop the virus maturing, as pills or long-acting injections
IND-Enabling Development of HIV Maturation Inhibitors Formulated for use as either Oral or Long-Acting Parenterally Administered Agents
Developing new HIV medicines that block the virus maturing for people living with HIV, delivered as oral pills or long-acting injections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dfh Pharma, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gaithersburg, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11253515 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project works on a class of drugs called maturation inhibitors that stop HIV from forming infectious particles by targeting the virus's Gag/capsid protein. The team is optimizing compounds and formulations and running lab and animal safety studies needed to file an IND so human trials can start. They aim to design drugs that remain active against virus variants that reduced response to earlier maturation inhibitors. The work focuses on making both daily oral and long-acting injectable options that could suit different patient needs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV, particularly those with drug resistance or who prefer less frequent dosing, would be the likely candidates for future clinical trials.
Not a fit: This is preclinical IND-enabling work, so there is no direct treatment benefit now, and some viral mutations in the Gag protein may still limit how well certain maturation inhibitors work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these drugs could give people with HIV new treatment options, including long-acting injections and agents that work against some resistant viruses.
How similar studies have performed: An earlier maturation inhibitor (bevirimat) lowered viral load in people but had variable success because common Gag polymorphisms affected response, so this program builds on that experience.
Where this research is happening
Gaithersburg, United States
- Dfh Pharma, INC. — Gaithersburg, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wild, Carl — Dfh Pharma, INC.
- Study coordinator: Wild, Carl
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.