Pfizer said today its HIV treatment maraviroc will receive a quicker review from regulators in the United States and Europe.
The US Food and Drug Administration grants accelerated reviews to potential medicines that could represent a major improvement over current treatments.
If approved, maraviroc would be the first in a new class of HIV/AIDS treatments that work by blocking viral entry, the drug maker said.
Most existing HIV drugs work inside the body's immune cells, after the virus has infected a patient.
The rushed process means the agency will decide whether to approve the drug within six months, rather than the more typical period of up to one year.
