Gilead, Tibotec to develop HIV drug

CORK, Ireland — A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and Gilead Sciences will collaborate to develop a combination drug for HIV, the two companies said Tuesday.

Gilead and Tibotec Pharmaceuticals will work to create a once-daily, single-tablet combination of Tibotec’s Prezista (darunavir) and Gilead’s investigational drug cobicistat, a so-called boosting agent.

“We are excited to be able to study and develop Prezista with an alternative boosting agent in a combination product that has the potential to reduce the number of tablets patients take,” said Johan Van Hoof, global therapeutic area head for infectious diseases and vaccines for Janssen Pharmaceutica, another subsidiary of J&J that is Tibotec’s parent.