Gilead Sciences receives EU approval for HIV drug Stribild

Gilead Sciences has announced that its new combination HIV therapy Stribild has been approved by the European Commission.

The drug contains four Gilead compounds – elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabin and tenofovir disoproxil – in a complete once-daily single-tablet regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults.

In phase III trials, it has shown efficacy in combating the condition among antiretroviral treatment-naive patients or those infected with HIV-1 without known mutations associated with resistance to any of the three antiretroviral agents contained in the formulation.

This is the third single-tablet HIV regimen developed by Gilead to receive European regulatory approval.

Dr John Martin, chairman and chief executive officer at Gilead Sciences, said: "We look forward to making Stribild available to HIV-treating physicians and their patients throughout the European Union as quickly as possible."

Last week, the European Medicines Agency validated Gilead's marketing authorisation application for sofosbuvir, a new therapy for hepatitis C.