Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences have formed an agreement to commercialize Atripla in Europe for the treatment of virologically suppressed adults with HIV-1 infection. If approved in the EU, Atripla would represent that region’s the first and only once-daily single tablet regimen for HIV-1 infection. The companies expect the European Commission to issue its decision by the end of the year.

BMS and Gilead have agreed to share responsibility for commercializing the drug throughout the EU and certain other European countries. Gilead will record revenues from future net sales of Atripla in most of the European countries, while Bristol-Myers Squibb will record revenues in most of the European countries at percentages relative to the contribution represented by its individual product.

BMS recently concluded an agreement with Merck (U.S.) granting BMS rights to co-commercialize Atripla with Gilead in all of the European Union and certain other European countries. Previously, Merck had the exclusive right to market any product containing efavirenz (a component of ATRIPLA) in all European countries other than the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Republic of Ireland.

Atripla is a combo of three drugs: Sustiva (BMS), Emtriva (Gilead) and Viread (Gilead). The latter two are marketed as a single pill under the name Truvada. Atrpla is currently sold in the U.S. and Canada through a joint venture between BMS and Gilead. ATRIPLA was approved by the FDA in July 2006 and by Health Canada in October 2007. Gilead and Merck previously announced a collaboration to distribute Atripla in developing countries.