I believe GSK will combine IDX899 with the Epivir used in Epzicom, and perhaps add a second RTI inhibitor.
It certainly makes more sense for GSK to dump Ziagen and work with Epivir directly than to work with Epzicom. Still, a cocktail based on Epivir and IDX899 would need a third drug to be a serious contender in the early lines of therapy, which is where the big money is.
Inasmuch as Epivir is a pyrimidine analog, if the third drug in the cocktail is to be a second NRTI, it should be a purine analog. With Ziagen out of the picture, unless GSK has a purine analog in its pipleine that we don’t know about, the only purine option is Viread, which wrecks the whole idea from a business standpoint.
Perhaps GSK is aiming for a 3-drug combo consisting of Epivir, IDX899, and GSK’s integrase inhibitor, which is at about the same stage of development as IDX899. |
