Objective: This bibliometric study aimed to analyze the global research trends, collaborations, and advancements in enfuvirtide, the first HIV fusion inhibitor, from 2002 to 2025, mapping its scientific evolution and identifying future research directions. Methods: Data were extracted from the Scopus database in April 2025, covering English-language studies on enfuvirtide. Bibliometric tools, including VOSviewer and Bibliometrix in R, were employed to analyze publication trends, author impact, institutional contributions, keyword co-occurrences, and international collaborations. Nonresearch documents were excluded to ensure analytical precision. Results: The analysis included 260 records, revealing a peak in research output in 2008 (32 articles), followed by a decline post-2012 to one to three articles annually by 2025. The key research themes and clusters in enfuvirtide studies include clinical applications, molecular mechanisms, therapeutic combinations, resistance patterns, and patient outcomes. The dominant themes revolved around enfuvirtide’s role as an HIV fusion inhibitor, its efficacy in antiretroviral therapy, and its structural interaction with gp41. Emerging topics included its use in specialized populations, for example, pregnancy and novel delivery systems. Thematic clusters highlighted its clinical trial history, pharmacokinetics, and injection-related challenges, alongside investigations into resistance mutations and viral adaptation. Conclusions: Enfuvirtide research peaked shortly after its FDA approval in 2003 but declined due to practical challenges such as administration barriers and the emergence of newer antiretroviral therapies. Future research should explore novel delivery systems, combination therapies, and applications in specialized populations to revitalize its role in HIV treatment.
Sutino et al. (Thu,) studied this question.