US regulators approve GlaxoSmithKline’s HIV drug
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GlaxoSmithKline’s drug Tivicay, used to treat the most common strain of HIV (release).
Specialist HIV company ViiV Healthcare owns the drug, and is formed of a joint venture between GSK, Pfizer and Shionogi Limited. GSK is the largest stakeholder, with 76.5 per cent of the company.
The drug is taken once daily and is used to treat HIV-1. The FDA has approved the use of Tivicay to treat infected adults who have been treated with other drugs before, or who are new to the treatment, and for children aged 12 and above weighing at least 40kg and who have not been treated with other drugs.
Analhysts polled by Reuters expect sales of the drug will hit $900m (£582m) by 2017.