U.S. FDA approves Gilead’s Stribild™

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved StribildTM (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg), a complete once-daily single tablet regimen for HIV-1 infection for treatment-naïve adults. Stribild, referred to as “Quad” prior to FDA approval, combines four compounds in one daily tablet: elvitegravir, an integrase inhibitor; cobicistat, a pharmacoenhancing agent; emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

“Over the past decade, co-formulated HIV medicines have simplified therapy for many patients and have become standard of care,” said Paul Sax, MD, Clinical Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and principal investigator of one of the Stribild pivotal studies. “Today’s approval of Stribild will provide physicians and their patients an effective new single tablet treatment option for individuals starting HIV therapy for the first time.”

The approval of Stribild is supported by 48-week data from two pivotal Phase 3 studies in which the single tablet regimen met its primary objective of non-inferiority compared to Atripla® (efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) (Study 102) and to a regimen containing ritonavir-boosted atazanavir plus Truvada® (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) (Study 103). Today’s approval is also supported by Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) information on the individual components of Stribild and the co-formulated single tablet regimen.

“For much of the company’s 25-year history, Gilead has focused on the development of improved treatments and simplified regimens for HIV,” said John C. Martin, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gilead Sciences. “Therapies that address the individual needs of patients are critical to enhancing adherence and increasing the potential for treatment success, and we are proud to introduce a new single tablet regimen for the healthcare and patient communities.”

Stribild is the third single tablet HIV regimen developed by Gilead. The first, Atripla, was approved in 2006 and is marketed by Gilead and Bristol-Myers Squibb in the United States. The second single tablet regimen, Complera® (emtricitabine/rilpivirine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), which combines Gilead’s Truvada and Janssen R&D Ireland’s rilpivirine, was approved in 2011.

In all studies of Stribild, most adverse events were mild to moderate. Stribild has Boxed Warnings of lactic acidosis/severe hepatomegaly with steatosis and post treatment acute exacerbation of hepatitis B; see below for important safety information.

Applications for marketing approval of Stribild are also pending in Australia, Canada and the European Union. In the developing world, Gilead has granted multiple Indian manufacturing partners and the Medicines Patent Pool the right to develop generic versions of Stribild and distribute them to 100 developing countries. These agreements include a complete technology transfer of the manufacturing process for the single tablet regimen.

Patient Assistance Programs

Gilead’s U.S. Advancing Access® program provides assistance to patients in the United States who do not have insurance or who need financial assistance to pay for their medications, including Stribild. Patients may contact Advancing Access at 1-800-226-2056 between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) to see if they are eligible for the program.

For patients with private insurance, Gilead’s co-pay coupon program provides assistance with out-of-pocket expenses for Gilead’s HIV medications, including Stribild, starting at the first dollar. Additionally, Gilead is working closely with the ADAP Crisis Task Force, as the company has done for each of its other HIV medications, to provide discounts to state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) that will help ensure access to Stribild for patients who receive medications through these programs.

About Stribild

Stribild contains four Gilead compounds in a complete once-daily, single tablet regimen: elvitegravir 150 mg; cobicistat 150 mg; emtricitabine 200 mg; and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg. Stribild is indicated as a complete regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults who are antiretroviral treatment-naïve. Stribild does not cure HIV-1 infection.

Elvitegravir is a member of the integrase inhibitor class of antiretroviral compounds. Integrase inhibitors interfere with HIV replication by blocking the ability of the virus to integrate into the genetic material of human cells. Elvitegravir was licensed by Gilead from Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) in March 2005. Under the terms of Gilead’s agreement with JT, Gilead has exclusive rights to develop and commercialize elvitegravir in all countries of the world, excluding Japan, where JT retains rights. Gilead submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to FDA for elvitegravir on June 27, 2012.

Cobicistat is a pharmacoenhancing or “boosting” agent that enables elvitegravir once-daily dosing. It is a potent mechanism-based inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A), an enzyme that metabolizes drugs in the body. Cobicistat acts only as a pharmacoenhancer and has no antiviral activity. Gilead submitted an NDA to FDA for cobicistat on June 28, 2012.

Elvitegravir and cobicistat as standalone agents are investigational products and their safety and efficacy have not yet been established.

Important Safety Information about Stribild

BOXED WARNING: LACTIC ACIDOSIS/SEVERE HEPATOMEGALY WITH STEATOSIS and POST TREATMENT ACUTE EXACERBATION OF HEPATITIS B

Lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis, including fatal cases, have been reported with the use of nucleoside analogs, including tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (“tenofovir DF”), a component of Stribild, in combination with other antiretrovirals.

Stribild is not approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the safety and efficacy of Stribild have not been established in patients coinfected with HBV and HIV-1. Severe acute exacerbations of hepatitis B have been reported in patients who are coinfected with HBV and HIV-1 and have discontinued Emtriva or Viread, which are components of Stribild. Hepatic function should be monitored closely with both clinical and laboratory follow-up for at least several months in patients who are coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV and discontinue Stribild. If appropriate, initiation of anti-hepatitis B therapy may be warranted.

Contraindications

Coadministration: Do not use with drugs highly dependent on CYP3A for clearance and for which elevated plasma concentrations are associated with serious and/or life-threatening events. Do not use with drugs that strongly induce CYP3A as this may lead to a loss of virologic response and possible resistance to Stribild. Use with the following drugs is contraindicated: alfuzosin, rifampin, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, lovastatin, simvastatin, pimozide, sildenafil for pulmonary arterial hypertension, triazolam, oral midazolam, and St. John’s wort.

Warnings and Precautions

New onset or worsening renal impairment: Cases of acute renal failure and Fanconi syndrome have been reported with the use of tenofovir DF and Stribild. Monitor estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl), urine glucose, and urine protein in all patients prior to initiating and during therapy; additionally monitor serum phosphorus in patients with or at risk for renal impairment. Cobicistat may cause modest increases in serum creatinine and modest declines in CrCl without affecting renal glomerular function; patients with an increase in serum creatinine greater than 0.4 mg/dL from baseline should be closely monitored for renal safety. Do not initiate Stribild in patients with CrCl below 70 mL/min. Discontinue Stribild if CrCl declines below 50 mL/min. Avoid concurrent or recent use with a nephrotoxic agent.

Use with other antiretroviral products: Stribild should not be coadministered with products containing any of the same active components; with products containing lamivudine; with adefovir dipivoxil; or with products containing ritonavir.

Decreases in bone mineral density (BMD) and cases of osteomalacia have been seen in patients treated with tenofovir DF. Consider monitoring BMD in patients with a history of pathologic fracture or risk factors for bone loss.

Fat redistribution and accumulation have been observed in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Immune reconstitution syndrome, including the occurrence of autoimmune disorders with variable time to onset, has been reported.

Adverse Reactions

Common adverse drug reactions in clinical studies (incidence greater than or equal to 5%; all grades) were nausea, diarrhea, abnormal dreams, headache and fatigue.

Drug Interactions

CYP3A substrates: Stribild can alter the concentration of drugs metabolized by CYP3A or CYP2D6. Do not use with drugs highly dependent on these factors for clearance and for which elevated plasma concentrations are associated with serious and/or life-threatening adverse events.

CYP3A inducers: Drugs that induce CYP3A can decrease the concentrations of components of Stribild. Do not use with drugs that strongly induce CYP3A as this may lead to loss of virologic response and possible resistance to Stribild.

Antacids: Separate Stribild and antacid administration by at least 2 hours.

Prescribing information: Consult the full prescribing information for Stribild for more information on potentially significant drug interactions, including clinical comments.

Dosage and Administration

Adult dosage: One tablet taken orally once daily with food.

Renal impairment: Do not initiate in patients with CrCl below 70 mL/min. Discontinue in patients with CrCl below 50 mL/min.

Hepatic impairment: Not recommended in patients with severe hepatic impairment.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Category B: There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Use during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. An Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry has been established.

Breastfeeding: Emtricitabine and tenofovir have been detected in human milk. Because of both the potential for HIV transmission and the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, mothers should be instructed not to breastfeed.