Dive Brief:
- Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is partnering with Viiv Healthcare to develop a single-tablet combination treatment for HIV based on Tivicay (dolutegravir), an integrate inhibitor developed by Viiv.
- Viiv is owned by GSK, Pfizer and Shionogi. This partnership will be the company’s first external collaboration.
- The new drug may emerge as a competitor to Gilead’s blockbuster three-in-one combination single tablet regimen (STR), Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabane/tenofovir).
Dive Insight:
When Tivicay was approved by FDA in August 2013, the news was well received by clinicians and patients. It garnered positive attention for being effective in patients with resistance to two or more antiretrovirals, while also having few side effects. It was described by some as a “clean drug.”
Now that Viiv and JNJ are teaming up, the plan is to combine Tivicay with JNJ’s NNRTI Edurant (rilpivirine) in a single tablet. If approved, this new combination could be used as first-line treatment and also as a new medication for patients who have developed resistance to multiple drugs. As patients with HIV live longer, HIV is increasingly being treated like a chronic condition---but also a condition that requires new treatment options to outpace the constant challenge of resistance.