Bristol-Myers seeks HIV drug approval in Europe
Key points
- NEW YORK, May 30 (Reuters) - Pharmaceutical firm Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
- The experimental treatment, called atazanavir, is among a class of HIV drugs called protease inhibitors and would compete with medicines such as Merck & Co.
- 5 drugmaker, requested that Europe's main medicine regulatory body, the European Medicines Evaluation Agency, approve atazanavir for sale.
- Investors have pinned hopes for Bristol-Myers -- which has been racked by generic competition and slowing demand for many of its key products -- on a handful of experimental drugs, including atazanavir.
NEW YORK, May 30 (Reuters) - Pharmaceutical firm Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) on Wednesday said it submitted an application to market in Europe its new drug to treat the HIV infection and its deadly successor AIDS.
The experimental treatment, called atazanavir, is among a class of HIV drugs called protease inhibitors and would compete with medicines such as Merck & Co. Inc.'s (MRK) Crixivan and Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE) Viracept.
Bristol-Myers, the world's No. 5 drugmaker, requested that Europe's main medicine regulatory body, the European Medicines Evaluation Agency, approve atazanavir for sale. The drug would offer the convenience of once-daily administration.
Investors have pinned hopes for Bristol-Myers -- which has been racked by generic competition and slowing demand for many of its key products -- on a handful of experimental drugs, including atazanavir. But the company's new hypertension medication, Vanlev, produced disappointing results in March, and a new cancer drug, Erbitux, has been delayed.
Atazanavir is currently in Phase III, or late-stage, clinical development. In April, Bristol-Myers said it planned to submit U.S. marketing applications in the fourth quarter for two of its experimental drugs, including atazanavir.
Patients with HIV and AIDS often take a "cocktail" of two or more medications and can develop a resistance to drugs they have taken for a while, so that new drugs are always needed by health care providers.
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Infections, HIV & STIs →
NewsFDA grants emergency approval for test to detect MERS
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization on Tuesday for a diagnostic test to detect the presence of the Middle East coronavirus at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.…
17 July 2013
NewsAIDS drugs halve HIV risk for intravenous drug users in study
A daily dose of powerful anti-HIV medicine helped cut the risk of infection with the AIDS virus by 49 percent in intravenous drug users in a Bangkok study that showed for the first time such a preventive step can work…
13 June 2013
NewsDrug-resistant MRSA bacteria - here to stay in both hospital and community (PLoS Pathogens)
The drug-resistant bacteria known as MRSA, once confined to hospitals but now widespread in communities, will likely continue to exist in both settings as separate strains, according to a new study. The…