Gilead’s new HIV drug shows non-inferiority to established therapy

Gilead Sciences has announced data from a new clinical trial that demonstrates the benefits offered by Eviplera, its treatment for treatment-naive adults with HIV infection.

The STaR was the first head-to-head study comparing the single-tablet regimen Eviplera – known as Complera in the US – to Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead's established product Atripla.

It was shown that the newer treatment was able to meet its primary efficacy endpoint by delivering non-inferior performance to Atripla in terms of reducing viral load levels.

Principal investigator Dr Calvin Cohen, director of research for the Community Research Initiative of New England, said: "Since its US approval in 2006, Atripla has become a standard of HIV care, so the rate of viral suppression demonstrated by Complera in this study is impressive."

Eviplera was approved by the European Commission in November 2011, becoming the first single-tablet regimen approved for patients new to HIV therapy in Europe.

Sales of the product increased more than fivefold in the third quarter of 2012, compared to the corresponding period of 2011.