Gilead and GlaxoSmithKline will be going head-to-head with improved HIV medicines, after clinical studies showed Gilead's new drug bictegravir was as effective as GSK's dolutegravir.
Gilead has released a statement that four late-stage studies have met all goals with bictegravir matching the established dolutegravir's efficacy. Both drugs are integrase inhibitors and are designed to be given along with older antiretroviral therapies. Three of the studies tested its combo a dolutegravir regimen in previously untreated patients. The fourth included patients who were already on HIV therapies.
As measured by their ability to suppress levels of HIV, the drug combinations testing bictegravir were found to be "non-inferior" to dolutegravir combos. The data showed the Gilead combination was as effective and also well tolerated, with no discontinued treatments due to kidney problems, a common side effect of HIV treatments.
Read the Reuters report