Gilead Sciences Begins Ph III With HIV Drug

- Gilead Sciences has reported that a Phase III clinical trial of itsnucleotide-based antiviral dug, adefovir dipivoxil (GS 840), has begun in patients with HIV and AIDS. The trial is being sponsored by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases through its Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS. In the study, patients will be randomized to receive either GS 840 as a single 120mg tablet per day, on top of their current therapy, or placebo. The trial aims to enroll over 2,000 HIV-infected patients with CD4 cell counts of less than 100/mm3. Adefovir is also being developed for the treatment of hepatitis B and the prevention of cytomegalovirus infection.