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Merck Positions MK-8591 As Backbone For HIV Treatment And Prophylaxis

 
• By Joseph Haas

First-in-class antiviral could be a potential backbone for combo regimens and entry into PrEP. New data releases at IAS highlight potential in both settings.

Pills for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV with PrEP text engraved
Merck hopes to follow Gilead as the second company into the HIV PrEP space

Merck & Co. Inc. views its first-in-class nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (NRTTI) MK-8591 (islatravir) as a potential backbone agent for combination therapy in the treatment setting and also a means for entry into the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) market.

While the HIV market is led by Gilead Sciences Inc. and ViiV Healthcare , Merck has a long heritage in HIV and antiretrovirals. The company sells the blockbuster...

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