Gilead AIDS Treatment In Pivotal Testing

Gilead Sciences has started a Phase II/III pivotal trial of its orally- administered product candidate GS840 (adefovir dipivoxil) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. This is the first antiviral to come through the firm's pipeline which targets HIV itself.

Adefovir is an oral prodrug of an earlier compound, GS 393, which was active but could not be dosed orally. The new compound is heading a new class of antiviral drugs based on nucleotides rather than nucleosides, which have been shown to be potent inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is the first in a series of trials which will test adefovir when administered in combination with approved antiretroviral therapies for the treatment of seropositive patients.