Monogram sets up European unit to supply Trofile

USA-based Monogram Biosciences has established a European organization to facilitate access to Trofile, its proprietary tropism test, following the announcement that world drug giant Pfizer has received European Commission approval of its novel HIV therapy, Celsentri (maraviroc) tablets (known as Selzentry in the USA). Trofile was the assay used for patient selection for maraviroc's clinical development program and the two companies are engaged in a collaboration deal to make it available for patient use globally. Maraviroc has been approved in the European Union for combination antiretroviral therapy for treatment-experienced adults who are only infected with CCR5-tropic HIV-1 detectable. Trofile is the only clinically-validated diagnostic that can be used to determine viral tropism, according to Monogram.