GlaxoSmithKline’s ViiV Healthcare reports positive HIV drug data

GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer's specialist HIV company ViiV Healthcare has published data showing the efficacy of a promising new treatment called dolutegravir.

During the Spring-2 phase III clinical trial, the investigational once-daily integrase inhibitor was shown to deliver non-inferior performance to twice-daily raltegravir among treatment-naive patients with HIV-1.

Dolutegravir is being developed as part of a joint venture collaboration between ViiV Healthcare and Shionogi, with Spring-2 being the first of four phase III studies due to be reported in 2012.

The drug could become a useful first-line HIV treatment option that does not require a booster.

Dr John Pottage, chief scientific and medical officer at ViiV Healthcare, said: "There have been many recent incremental advances in the treatment of HIV, but we believe dolutegravir could be a significant step forward in how we approach the management of the disease."

ViiV Healthcare was founded by GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer in 2009 and specialises in HIV/AIDS research, announcing a new campaign to combat the diseases in the south-east US earlier this week.