–
Novel Investigational Combination Pairs Bictegravir, Guideline-Recommended INSTI with High Barrier to Resistance, with Lenacapavir, a First-in-Class Capsid Inhibitor,
Designed for Sustained Virologic Suppression for People Living with HIV –
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If Approved, Combination will be Smallest Single-Tablet Regimen (STR) for HIV Treatment and First STR Studied in Adults with Virological Suppression on Complex Multi-Tablet Regimens
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FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
#GILD
--Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) submission for bictegravir 75 mg/lenacapavir 50 mg (BIC/LEN) – an investigational, once-daily single-tablet combination regimen for the treatment of HIV in adults who are virologically suppressed. The FDA has granted priority review of the application and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of August 27, 2026.
“This once-daily, single-tablet regimen brings together the high barrier to resistance of bictegravir, with lenacapavir, a first-in-class capsid inhibitor with a novel mechanism of action that has no cross-resistance with other antiretrovirals,” said Dietmar Berger, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences. “If approved, BIC/LEN has the potential to be a single-tablet regimen designed to provide sustained virologic suppression with a high barrier to resistance for people living with HIV who are virologically suppressed, including those who are aging, with comorbidities, seeking to streamline a complex regimen, with prior ARV resistance, and those seeking novel treatment options.”
The NDA submission is supported by positive Phase 3 data from the ARTISTRY-1 (
NCT05502341
) and ARTISTRY-2 (
NCT06333808
) trials, which evaluated BIC/LEN in adults with HIV with virological suppression, including those who switched from complex multi-tablet regimens or from Biktarvy® (bictegravir 50 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg). In both trials, BIC/LEN demonstrated comparable efficacy in maintaining virological suppression at Week 48 and was generally well tolerated, with no significant or new safety concerns identified. ARTISTRY-1 enrolled the oldest study population in a Phase 3 HIV treatment registrational trial to date. The Week 48
data
presented at CROI 2026 showed the treatment switch to BIC/LEN from complex regimens was also associated with improvements in certain fasting lipid parameters and patient-reported treatment satisfaction. ARTISTRY-2 showed that switching to BIC/LEN had no significant impact on weight. Detailed ARTISTRY-1 results were published in
The Lancet
on March 28, 2026.
“Gilead is committed to continuous scientific discovery to develop transformative medicines to help meet the needs and preferences of people living with HIV, especially as those needs evolve the longer individuals are on HIV treatment,” said Jared Baeten, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, Virology Therapeutic Area Head, Gilead Sciences. “BIC/LEN, if approved, could help address those needs and complements our portfolio together with the trusted foundation of Biktarvy which is a standard of care for HIV treatment and will remain the cornerstone of our treatment portfolio.”
Bictegravir plus lenacapavir in combination are investigational and not approved anywhere globally. The safety and efficacy of this combination have not been established. There is currently no cure for HIV or AIDS.
About Biktarvy
Biktarvy is a complete HIV treatment that combines three powerful medicines to form the smallest 3-drug, integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based single-tablet regimen (STR) available, offering simple once-daily dosing with or without food, with a limited drug interaction potential and a high barrier to resistance. Biktarvy combines the novel, unboosted INSTI bictegravir, with the Descovy
®
(emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg tablets, F/TAF) backbone. Biktarvy is a complete STR and should not be taken with other HIV medicines.
About Bictegravir
Bictegravir is a global guideline-recommended integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) with a high barrier to resistance. INSTIs are a class of antiretroviral agents that target the viral integrase. Bictegravir is used only in combination with other antiretroviral agents in the treatment of HIV.
About Lenacapavir
Lenacapavir is approved in multiple countries for the treatment of multi-drug-resistant HIV in adults, in combination with other antiretrovirals. Lenacapavir is also approved in multiple countries as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV in adults and adolescents who are at risk of HIV acquisition.
The multi-stage mechanism of action of lenacapavir is distinguishable from other approved classes of antiretroviral agents. While most antiretrovirals act on one stage of viral replication, lenacapavir is designed to inhibit HIV at multiple stages of its lifecycle and has no known exhibited cross-resistance in vitro to other existing drug classes.
Lenacapavir is being evaluated as a long-acting option in multiple ongoing and planned early and late-stage clinical studies in Gilead’s HIV treatment and prevention research program. Lenacapavir is being developed as a foundation for potential future HIV therapies to offer both long-acting oral and injectable options with several dosing frequencies, in combination or as a mono agent, that help address the individual needs and preferences of people and communities affected by HIV.
U.S. Important Safety Information for Biktarvy
BOXED WARNING: POST TREATMENT ACUTE EXACERBATION OF HEPATITIS B
Severe acute exacerbations of hepatitis B have been reported in patients with HIV-1 and HBV who have discontinued products containing emtricitabine (FTC) and/or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), and may occur with discontinuation of BIKTARVY.
Closely monitor hepatic function with both clinical and laboratory follow-up for at least several months in patients with HIV-1 and HBV who discontinue BIKTARVY. If appropriate, anti-hepatitis B therapy may be warranted.
Contraindications
Coadministration:
Do not use BIKTARVY with dofetilide or rifampin.
Warnings and precautions
Drug interactions:
See Contraindications and Drug Interactions sections. Consider the potential for drug interactions prior to and during BIKTARVY therapy and monitor for adverse reactions.
Immune reconstitution syndrome,
including the occurrence of autoimmune disorders with variable time to onset, has been reported.
New onset or worsening renal impairment:
Postmarketing cases of renal impairment, including acute renal failure, proximal renal tubulopathy (PRT), and Fanconi syndrome have been reported with tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)–containing products. Do not initiate BIKTARVY in patients with estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl) <30 mL/min except in virologically suppressed adults <15 mL/min who are receiving chronic hemodialysis. Patients with impaired renal function and/or taking nephrotoxic agents (including NSAIDs) are at increased risk of renal-related adverse reactions. Discontinue BIKTARVY in patients who develop clinically significant decreases in renal function or evidence of Fanconi syndrome.
Renal monitoring:
Prior to or when initiating BIKTARVY and during therapy, assess serum creatinine, CrCl, urine glucose, and urine protein in all patients as clinically appropriate. In patients with chronic kidney disease, assess serum phosphorus.
Lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis:
Fatal cases have been reported with the use of nucleoside analogs, including FTC and TDF. Discontinue BIKTARVY if clinical or laboratory findings suggestive of lactic acidosis or pronounced hepatotoxicity develop, including hepatomegaly and steatosis in the absence of marked transaminase elevations.
Adverse reactions
Most common adverse reactions
(incidence ≥5%; all grades) in clinical studies through week 144 were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).
Drug interactions
Prescribing information:
Consult the full prescribing information for BIKTARVY for more information on Contraindications, Warnings, and potentially significant drug interactions, including clinical comments.
Enzymes/transporters:
Drugs that induce P-gp or induce both CYP3A and UGT1A1 can substantially decrease the concentration of components of BIKTARVY. Drugs that inhibit P-gp, BCRP, or inhibit both CYP3A and UGT1A1 may significantly increase the concentrations of components of BIKTARVY. BIKTARVY can increase the concentration of drugs that are substrates of OCT2 or MATE1.
Drugs affecting renal function:
Coadministration of BIKTARVY with drugs that reduce renal function or compete for active tubular secretion may increase concentrations of FTC and tenofovir and the risk of adverse reactions.
Dosage and administration
Dosage:
Patients weighing ≥25 kg: 1 tablet taken once daily with or without food.
Renal impairment:
Not recommended in patients with CrCl 15 to <30 mL/min, or <15 mL/min who are not receiving chronic hemodialysis, or <15 mL/min who are receiving chronic hemodialysis and have no antiretroviral treatment history.
Hepatic impairment:
Not recommended in patients with severe hepatic impairment.
Prior to or when initiating:
Test patients for HBV infection.
Prior to or when initiating, and during treatment:
As clinically appropriate, assess serum creatinine, CrCl, urine glucose, and urine protein in all patients. In patients with chronic kidney disease, assess serum phosphorus.
Pregnancy and lactation
Pregnancy:
BIKTARVY is recommended in pregnant individuals who are virologically suppressed on a stable ARV regimen with no known substitutions associated with resistance to any of the individual components of BIKTARVY. Lower plasma exposures of BIKTARVY were observed during pregnancy; therefore, viral load should be monitored closely during pregnancy. An Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry (APR) has been established. Available data from the APR for BIC, FTC, or TAF show no difference in the rates of birth defects compared with a US reference population.
Lactation:
Individuals with HIV-1 should be informed of the potential risks of breastfeeding.
About Gilead HIV
For more than 35 years, Gilead has been a leading innovator in the field of HIV, driving advances in treatment, prevention and cure research. Gilead researchers have developed 13 HIV
medications
, including the first single-tablet regimen to treat HIV, the first antiretroviral for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to help reduce new HIV infections, and the first long-acting injectable HIV treatment medication administered twice-yearly. Our advances in
medical research
have helped to transform HIV into a treatable, preventable, chronic condition for millions of people.
Gilead is committed to continued scientific innovation to provide solutions for the evolving needs of people affected by HIV around the world. Through
partnerships
, collaborations and charitable giving, the company also aims to improve education, expand
access
and address barriers to care, with the goal of ending the HIV epidemic worldwide. Gilead has been repeatedly
recognized
as one of the top two leading philanthropic funders of HIV-related programs in a report released by Funders Concerned About AIDS.
Discover more about Gilead’s
unique collaborations worldwide
and the work to help end the HIV epidemic.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer and inflammation. In 2025, Gilead announced a planned $32 billion investment to further strengthen its U.S. footprint to power the next era of discovery, job creation and public health preparedness – while continuing to invest globally to ensure patients everywhere benefit from its scientific innovation. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, Calif.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, including Gilead’s ability to initiate, progress or complete clinical trials or studies within currently anticipated timelines or at all, and the possibility of unfavorable results from ongoing and additional clinical trials or studies, including those involving bictegravir and lenacapavir (such as ARTISTRY-1 and ARTISTRY-2); uncertainties relating to regulatory applications and related filing and approval timelines, including potential applications for programs and/or indications currently under evaluation, such as the combination of bictegravir and lenacapavir for HIV-1 infection (including the NDA submission accepted by the FDA), and the risk that any regulatory approvals, if granted, may be subject to significant limitations on use or subject to withdrawal or other adverse actions by the applicable regulatory authority; the possibility that Gilead may make a strategic decision to discontinue development of these programs and, as a result, these programs may never be successfully commercialized for the indications currently under evaluation; and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. These and other risks, uncertainties and factors are described in detail in Gilead’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Gilead, and Gilead assumes no obligation and disclaims any intent to update any such forward-looking statements.
Biktarvy, Gilead and the Gilead logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.
U.S. Prescribing Information for Biktarvy, including
BOXED WARNING
, is available at
.
For more information about Gilead, please visit the company’s website at
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(
@Gilead Sciences
) and
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, or
contact
Gilead Public Affairs.
Contacts
Priscilla White, Media
public_affairs@gilead.com
Jacquie Ross, Investors
investor_relations@gilead.com
