GSK ‘being overtaken’ as top HIV drug firm

Newly-published research has claimed that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is being knocked off its perch as the top HIV drug company.

The paper from Decision Resources and Millennium Research Group reports that the firm is being overtaken by Gilead as a result of its novel product portfolio.

Included in this HIV product portfolio is Atripla – a fixed dose combination of the company’s Truvada together with Sustiva from Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

According to the report, Atripla is the most requested antiretroviral among HIV specialists and the “top-of-mind” treatment among HIV specialists.

The paper also noted that Pfizer and MSD also saw two innovative antiretrovirals enter the market this year with Selzentry and Isentress respectively, while it added that these compounds will be competing for patient use, though some individuals will be prescribed both drugs.

Craig Speziali, an analyst at Millennium Research Group, said: “Not surprisingly, physicians ranked quality of a company’s marketed products as the most important factor in determining their impression of a company.”

He added that other key factors that set the impression of a firm include clinical trial design and product innovation.

Earlier this month, GSK reported that it is playing a role in dealing with the global Aids crisis by giving consent for Canadian firm Apotex to manufacture a generic treatment for the disease for use in Rwanda.