Gilead Sciences receives EU backing for Eviplera

Gilead Sciences has been granted European regulatory approval for Eviplera, its new treatment for HIV.

The European Commission has ratified the drug for use in all 27 EU nations as a means of treating HIV-1 infection in antiretroviral treatment-naive adults with a viral load less than or equal to 100,000 HIV-1 RNA copies per mL.

Eviplera is a fixed-dose combination of combination of emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil and rilpivirine, and is the first single-tablet HIV regimen to be approved in Europe since Atripla in 2007.

Authorisation of the drug was based on positive clinical data from two phase III trials, during which the new therapy showed its safety and efficacy benefits compared to alternative options.

Dr John Martin, chairman and chief executive officer of Gilead Sciences, said: "We are pleased to expand the therapeutic options for European patients and are now working with national authorities to ensure the regimen is made available across the EU as quickly as possible."

This comes after the company announced earlier this week that it will be acquiring Pharmasset, a specialist developer of hepatitis C therapies.