HIV (yellow) infecting a human immune cell. Credit: Seth Pincus, Elizabeth Fischer and Austin Athman, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Descovy, a combination HIV drug developed by biologic drugmaker Gilead Sciences.
The daily pill includes two already-approved drugs for treating the virus. The combination is the backbone of Gilead's newest HIV medicines, and it's part of Gilead's HIV pill Genvoya, approved in 2015.
Gilead, of Foster City, California, is a top maker of HIV and hepatitis treatments.
Descovy carries FDA's strictest warnings about dangerous side effects, including potentially fatal buildup of lactic acid in the blood and worsening of hepatitis B, immune system problems and kidney damage.
It's approved for treating patients aged 12 and older with the HIV-1 subtype.
Gilead says Descovy is as effective as its blockbuster Viread at a much-lower dose. It hasn't disclosed the price.
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