Descovy will help Gilead maintain HIV market dominance in short term: Report

The recent US Food and Drug Administration approval of US biotech giant Gilead Sciences’ (Nasdaq: GILD) drug Descovy (emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide [TAF]) in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; The Pharma Letter April 5) will boost the company’s TAF-based HIV portfolio, and allow Gilead to stay on top of a fast-changing treatment landscape,

As explored in analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData’s most recent HIV report, the market will see major shifts in the types of treatments administered to patients in the next few years. Indeed, fixed-dosed combinations (FDCs) and single-tablet regimens (STRs) are transforming the HIV landscape, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatments are beginning to be challenged by clinically superior TAF-based therapies.

David Fratoni, GlobalData’s analyst covering infectious diseases, explains: “The launch of Descovy means Gilead is now responsible for bringing three TAFs to the US market in less than six months, including Genvoya (elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/TAF) and Odefsey (emtricitabine/rilpivirine/TAF). This commitment to building a strong TAF profile represents a remarkable milestone for Gilead’s fight against HIV, cementing its leading position in the arena for now.”