Gilead acquires Triangle, will push for tenofovir and FTC in one tablet

Keith Alcorn
Estimated reading time 1 minutes
This article is more than 22 years old.

Gilead, manufacturers of tenofovir, yesterday announced that it has acquired the troubled Triangle Pharmaceuticals and a promising portfolio of experimental anti-HIV and hepatitis B drugs.

The deal ends months of speculation about Triangle’s future, and in particular, the prospects for launch of FTC (Coviracil), a new nucleoside analogue that has completed Phase III trials.

Gilead’s first priority will be to obtain a license for Coviracil, and then to develop and license a co-formulation of tenofovir and FTC as a fixed dose, once a day tablet, the company said. Studies of amdoxovir, an HIV nucleoside analogue, and clevudine, a hepatitis B nucleoside analogue, will also continue. Amdoxovir (also known as DAPD) is active against multi-nucleoside resistant viruses in the test tube.

Glossary

nucleoside

A precursor to a building block of DNA or RNA. Nucleosides must be chemically changed into nucleotides before they can be used to make DNA or RNA. 

formulation

The physical form in which a drug is manufactured or administered. Examples of formulations include tablets, capsules, powders, and oral and injectable solutions. A drug may be available in multiple formulations.

phase III

The third and most definitive stage in the clinical evaluation of a new drug or intervention, typically a randomised control trial with the new intervention compared to an existing therapy or a placebo, in large numbers of participants (typically hundreds or thousands). Trial results are used to evaluate the overall risks and benefits of the drug and provide the information needed for regulatory approval.

The deal also adds considerable strength to Gilead’s position in the hepatitis B market, where the company has already won approval for its hepatitis B drug adefovir (Hepsera) in the United States and European Union.

Print