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CLEVELAND: US pharmaceutical companies Gilead and Merck announced on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) that they have partnered to develop a new therapy for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that could replace daily medications with a treatment that can be taken at longer intervals. prolonged.
The companies aim to combine two of their existing drugs to “provide new and meaningful treatment options for people living with HIV,” the virus that causes AIDS, the companies said in a statement.
“While single-tablet daily regimens are available for people living with HIV, options that would allow for less frequent oral doses or infrequent injections instead of daily doses have the potential to address preference considerations as well issues associated with adherence and privacy, ”the companies said.
The first clinical trials of the oral version of the new treatment are expected to begin in the second half of the year.
Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has developed Islatravir, which is taken once a month and is currently being evaluated as a treatment for HIV infections in combination with other once-a-day antiretroviral drugs.
Islatravir is also being evaluated as a preventive against HIV infections when taken monthly.
Gilead is working on Lenacapavir, which is the subject of several clinical trials, one of which offers it as a subcutaneous injection given every six months for the treatment and prevention of HIV.
Under the terms of the deal, Gilead will pay 60 percent of development and commercialization costs, and the two companies will initially share the revenue equally from the new therapy, if approved by regulators.
If sales exceed $ 2 billion a year for an oral treatment or $ 3.5 billion for an injectable, Gilead will take 65 percent of the revenue above that threshold.
About 38 million people were living with HIV worldwide at the end of 2019, according to the World Health Organization.
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