New Quad HIV drug as effective as current therapies, with fewer side effects

Gilead Sciences, Inc. has announced full Phase 3 clinical trial results from a study demonstrating that the Quad, a once-daily single tablet regimen of elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for the treatment of HIV, is as effective as Atripla, currently the most-prescribed HIV treatment regimen in the United States. “These data show that the Quad is as effective as a current standard of care in HIV therapy. The safety profile of Quad was also comparable to that of Atripla, and was better tolerated in terms of key neurological side effects,” said Paul Sax, Clinical Director of the HIV Program and Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and principal investigator of the study. The Quad demonstrated a lower incidence than Atripla with regard to central nervous system (CNS) side effects, lipids and rash.