Research & development

We research and develop new medicines to fight HIV/AIDS and improve the health of those living with it.

At ViiV Healthcare our scientists are 100% dedicated to finding new ways to limit the impact of HIV on the 34 million people living with the virus.

Although there have been significant advances in HIV therapy in recent years, until we have a cure we must maintain investment into developing new medicines and remain vigilant over how the virus evolves resistance to treatment. We know that new medicines will always be needed that are at least as effective as current options and treat patients who have limited options due to the development of resistance. Additionally, new medicines will need to offer improvements in areas such as tolerability, safety, dosing schedules, drug interactions and convenience.

In addition to the five investigational medicines we currently have in the clinic, our investment in R&D supports early work to identify new therapeutic options such as antiretroviral drug candidates with novel mechanisms of action and treatment of HIV-related immune dysfunction. We actively collaborate with other commercial and academic organizations to work towards a cure and also seek new business alliances to ensure we will deliver the innovative HIV treatments of the future.

At a global level, another avenue of research that we have prioritized is the investigation of innovative strategies and uses of existing antiretroviral agents. Examples include investigating our medicines in prevention of HIV infection as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PreP) and Treatment as Prevention (TasP). We have also begun a study of long-acting preparations (LAP) which could potentially reduce dosing frequency from daily pills to monthly or quarterly injections. The development of pediatric formulations is also a high priority for ViiV Healthcare, such as our collaboration with CHAI & Mylan on an accessible, dispersible medicine for children living with HIV in developing countries.

We also recognize that, in spite of many scientific advances, there are still too many gaps in our understanding of how to best prevent and treat HIV in certain populations and areas of the world. That’s why we are currently supporting 36 collaborative research studies to address public health priority areas among 38,000 people living with HIV in resource-limited settings.