J&J's HIV drug rilpivirine passes Phase III trials but stumbles on virologic failure
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Johnson & Johnson's non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) rilpivirine (TMC278) was safe and effective in two Phase III trials of treatment-naïve HIV-patients, showed data presented last week at the 18th International AIDS conference in Austria. Both the ECHO and THRIVE studies met their primary endpoint – non-inferiority of rilpivirine to Merck & Co's NNRTI Sustiva (efavirenz), as assessed by the proportion of patients achieving an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies per ml) at week 48.