An innovative HIV drug from Taiwan-based biotech company TaiMed Biologics — Trogarzo (ibalizumab) — will soon be available in Russia for patients with resistant HIV infection. Russian pharmaceutical group R-Pharm has secured an agreement with the Taiwanese developer to import the drug, the company’s press service told GxP News.
Trogarzo is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the CD4 receptor on the surface of T-lymphocytes, the immune cells targeted by HIV. By blocking this receptor, the drug prevents the virus from entering the cells. It is intended for patients who have undergone multiple lines of therapy and have developed multidrug resistance. Ibalizumab will be accessible under life-saving indications, allowing for individualized supply with authorization from the Russian Ministry of Health.
Clinical trials and real-world practice have demonstrated that the drug achieves viral suppression in the majority of such patients. Notably, Trogarzo does not require daily dosing — it is administered intravenously once every two weeks, the press service highlighted.
“There remains a significant unmet need among patients with multidrug-resistant HIV, for whom existing treatment regimens fail to provide adequate viral suppression. Until now, their only options were enrolling in clinical trials or transitioning to palliative care. Thanks to this agreement with TaiMed Biologics, we can now offer them a new therapeutic option and renewed hope for a full life,” said Vasily Ignatiev, General Director of R-Pharm.
