Gilead + Merck announce agreement to jointly develop and commercialize long-acting, investigational treatment combinations of lenacapavir and islatravir in HIV.

- Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Merck Inc., announced that they have entered into an agreement to co-develop and co-commercialize long-acting treatments in HIV that combine Gilead’s investigational capsid inhibitor, lenacapavir, and Merck’s investigational nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor, islatravir, into a two-drug regimen with the potential to provide new, meaningful treatment options for people living with HIV. The companies will try to make oral and injectable treatments comprised of Gilead's lenacapavir and Merck's islatravir. Gilead will shoulder 60% of the development and commercialization costs while Merck supplies the other 40%. The companies will also split marketing responsibilities based on formulation, with Gilead taking the lead for long-acting oral products in the U.S. and long-acting injectable products in the rest of the world, and Merck vice versa. The first clinical studies of the oral combination are expected to begin in the second half of 2021. Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead and Merck will work as partners, sharing operational responsibilities, as well as development, commercialization and marketing costs, and any future revenues. The first clinical studies of the oral combination are expected to begin in the second half of 2021. Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead and Merck will work as partners, sharing operational responsibilities, as well as development, commercialization and marketing costs, and any future revenues.