News

A new drug developed by Japanese researchers is the latest promising treatment against HIV infection.

A collaborative research into elvitegravir by Professor Eiichi Kodama and Japan Tobacco Inc. showed extremely high anti-HIV activity, and effectiveness even against mutant strains that have been resistant to other classes of anti-HIV drugs.

The new drug is called "Genvoya® Combination Tablets." The once daily single tablet regimen contains four active ingredients - elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last November for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults and children above the age of 12.

It has since been marketed by Gilead Sciences, Inc.

In Japan, the manufacturing and marketing of "Genvoya® Combination Tablets" was approved on June 17 and will be sold and distributed by Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

HIV infects and destroys important immune lymphocytes, resulting in severe immunodeficiency. In recent years, effective drugs have been developed that successfully blocked HIV replication. However, the number of pills needed in combination, as well as the emergence of new drug-resistant HIV strains, have been of growing concern.

Researchers and clinicians hope the new drug will go some way towards solving both problems.

Kodama worked on the research while he was at Kyoto University. He is currently with Tohoku University's International Research Institute of Disaster Science, while also serving as professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization and University Hospital.

* Genvoya is a registered trademark of Gilead Sciences, Inc.