SNIPPET

Merck & Company virology business is flickering, after announcing two of its new HIV medications that bagged approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The oral medications, Pifeltro and Delstrigo, are taken once-daily with or without food for adult HIV-1 patients, who have never received antiretroviral treatment. In Pifeltro, doravirine is the only active ingredient drug, while Delstrigo pairs that drug in a fixed-dose combination tablet with tenofovir disoproxil and lamivudine. In the Phase 3 DRIVE-AHEAD study, Delstrigo showed non-inferiority to Atripla of Gilead Sciences. In the DRIVE-FORWARD study, Pifeltro showed non-inferiority to Prezista of Johnson & Johnson plus 100 mg of ritonavir. Both treatments in DRIVE-FORWARD were administered in combination with either Epzicom/Kivexa or Truvada of Gilead.