MK-4965

MK-4965 is a potent, experimental small molecule nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) developed for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. It features both diaryl ether and indazole moieties in its structure. MK-4965 demonstrates subnanomolar potency against wild-type HIV-1 reverse transcriptase as well as key NNRTI-resistant mutants, including K103N and Y181C. In vitro studies show that it maintains high activity against various HIV-1 subtypes and viruses with resistance to other antiretroviral classes (nucleoside RT inhibitors or protease inhibitors). Its antiviral activity is nonantagonistic when combined with other FDA-approved antiretrovirals. Despite promising preclinical data, development was terminated due to toxicity observed in animal studies[2][3][6].