Gilead Sciences, Tibotec to Develop Second Once-Daily HIV Treatment

Foster City, Calif.-based Gilead Sciences on Thursday said it has entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Johnson and Johnson subsidiary Tibotec Pharmaceuticals for the development and commercialization of a new once-daily fixed-dose treatment for HIV, the San Francisco Business Times reports. The FDA approved the first once-daily HIV treatment Atripla in 2006 (7/16). The new antiretroviral drug would contain Tibotec's experimental non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, known as TMC278, and Gilead's combination pill, Truvada. Kevin Young, head of commercial operations at Gilead "said the new combination pill, along with Gilead's experimental 'quad' pill, will be used for newly-diagnosed patients, with physicians reluctant to change therapy for patients who are responding well to Atripla," Reuters reports. Young said the drug is expected to reach the market in 2011 (Beasley, 7/16).

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