Daria Hazuda

Daria J Hazuda is a biochemist known for discovering the first HIV Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors (InSTIs) and leading the development of the first HIV integrase inhibitor to gain FDA approval, Isentress (raltegravir). Her lab also determined these inhibitors' mechanism of action and ways the virus could develop resistance to them. She currently serves as Vice President for Infectious Diseases Discovery for Merck and Chief Scientific Officer of their MRL Cambridge Exploratory Science Center.

Early life and education Hazuda was raised in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey. Her father was an engineer and her mother worked in the regulatory-compliance division of Janssen Pharmaceutica (now a part of Johnson & Johnson). She initially pursued a premedical degree at Georgetown University, but fell in love with research during a part-time job in a lab and decided to go into drug discovery. She continues to oversee Merck's HIV research, which includes the development of long-acting antiretrovirals. She has also been instrumental in the development of antiviral treatments for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), leading the development of antivirals for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) including Elbasvir and Grazoprevir.

Hazuda was not the first or only scientist working to develop integrase inhibitors.

In 2000, her group published two key papers showing effective integrase inhibitors could be made. Through a collaboration with Merck researchers in Rome, raltegravir (Isentress) was found - it was originally developed as a potential hepatitis C polymerase inhibitor which was found to be ineffective for that purpose. She was Elected as a Fellow to the American Academy of Microbiology in 2010.

Key papers