Gilead agrees deal to expand access to HIV candidate in developing countries

Gilead Sciences and the Medicines Patent Pool have agreed a licensing deal to expand access to bictegravir (BIC), upon regulatory approval in the USA.

BIC is a novel investigational therapy for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents against HIV-1 infection.

Through this agreement, MPP can sub-license rights to BIC to generic drug companies in India, China and South Africa to manufacture therapies containing BIC for distribution in 116 low- and middle-income countries.

Gilead has also expanded its licensing agreements with various drugmakers to include BIC, and products incorporating the compound, for distribution in 116 developing countries.

Under these voluntary licensing agreements, the manufacturers may produce BIC as a single agent or in fixed-dose combinations with other HIV medicines.

Gilead has filed for approval for a once-daily single tablet regimen containing BIC and emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide in the USA and in Europe.