Gilead and Merck Announce Phase 2 Data Showing a Treatment Switch to an Investigational Oral Once-Weekly Combination Regimen of Islatravir and Lenacapavir Maintained Viral Suppression in Adults at Week 48

– Novel Investigational Combination Regimen is Advancing to Phase 3 and has the Potential to Become the First Weekly Oral HIV Treatment –

FOSTER CITY, Calif., & RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) and Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced new results from a Phase 2 clinical study evaluating the investigational combination of islatravir, an investigational nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor, and lenacapavir, a first-in-class HIV-1 capsid inhibitor. These late-breaking data were presented during an oral session at IDWeek 2024, taking place in Los Angeles, and virtually, from October 16-19.

At 48 weeks, the novel investigational combination maintained a high rate (n=49; 94.2%) of viral suppression (HIV-1 RNA