ViiV Healthcare, the joint-venture specialty pharmaceutical company formed by GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Shionogi have started a Phase III program to support regulatory filings for a two-drug regimen of Tivicay (dolutegravir) and Epivir (lamivudine) for treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection in adults who have not received prior antiretroviral therapy.

The Phase III program will explore whether this two-drug regimen can change the existing HIV treatment strategy, by reducing the number of medications and potentially streamlining treatment regimens.

Tivacay is an HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults and pediatric patients weighing at least 30 kilograms. Lamivudine is a nucleoside analogue used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV infection.

Source: GlaxoSmithKline