Truvada Sales Drive Gilead Sciences' 58% Increase in Third-Quarter Profits

Foster City, Calif.-based Gilead Sciences on Tuesday announced that its third-quarter profits for 2005 rose to $179.2 million, 58% higher than during the same time period last year, primarily because of a 59% increase in sales of its antiretroviral drugs, Reuters reports. Gilead recorded $162.4 million in second-quarter sales for its combination antiretroviral drug Truvada, which combines its antiretrovirals Viread and Emtriva (Beasley, Reuters, 10/18). Third-quarter sales of Truvada -- which was approved by FDA in August 2004 -- increased 32% over the second quarter of 2005 (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/21). Sales of Viread in the third quarter of 2005 decreased 2% to $189.4 million from the third quarter of 2004, and Emtriva sales decreased 26% to $11.7 million, with many patients switching to Truvada (Gilead release, 10/18). According to Gilead, about 60% of newly diagnosed AIDS patients in the U.S. are being treated with Truvada (Reuters, 10/18).

Trimeris Says Third-Quarter Sales of Fuzeon Down From Second Quarter
Durham, N.C.-based Trimeris said that sales of its antiretroviral drug Fuzeon, which it produces with the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, decreased from $53.9 million in the second quarter of 2005 to $48.9 million in the third quarter. Although Fuzeon has not met the companies' expectations for sales since it launched the drug in 2003, sales had increased the previous three quarters (Raleigh News & Observer, 10/19). In addition, the 2005 third-quarter sales of $48.9 million is a 43.1% increase from the third quarter of 2004 (Trimeris release, 10/18). Fuzeon, which is a fusion inhibitor, currently is approved for use with a needle and syringe. Roche and Trimeris in July announced they have filed for FDA approval to use Bioject Medical Technologies' Biojector 2000 injection system, a needle-free injection device, to administer Fuzeon (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/19).

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