Gilead, Lyndra Therapeutics Partner On Ultra-Long-Acting HIV Drugs

Gilead Sciences, Inc. GILD, which has recently faced a setback with its NASH pipeline and is grappling with an aging HIV franchise, is partnering with a privately held company to develop HIV therapies with the goal of improving medication adherence. 

What Happened

Lyndra Therapeutics, which specializes in long-acting therapies, said Tuesday that it has struck a partnership with Gilead to develop and commercialize ultra-long-acting HIV therapies.

The large-cap pharma gains exclusive rights to Lynda's therapeutics platform for ultra-long-acting formulations related to HIV.

Why It's Important

Lyndra's ultra-long-acting dosage form allows patients to take a pill once a week or even less frequently, rather than daily, the company said. 

"Gilead is committed to advancing therapies for all people living with or at risk for HIV, including potential strategies for long-acting regimens that would reduce pill burden," said John McHutchison, Gilead's chief scientific officer and head of R&D, said in a statement. 

"This early partnership with Lyndra is the latest step in our ongoing investment in HIV research and development."

Gilead shares were trading down slightly at $67.42 at the time of publication Tuesday. 

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