GSK's anti-HIV drug wins European panel win

(Reuters) – The two-drug treatment of GlaxoSmithKline Plc for the treatment of HIV infection was approved by a panel of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday after the British manufacturer of drugs had been warned by the US Food and Drug Administration earlier this month.

The EMA Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has approved the combination of dolutegravir and lamivudine, under the name Dovato, for the treatment of newly diagnosed adults, thereby strengthening the GSK's growth prospects relative to its competitors.

Last year, the company showed during drug trials that the Dovato pill to be taken each day was as effective as a standard three-drug badtail to suppress the virus that causes AIDS and also in terms of tolerance.

Although final approvals are the responsibility of the European Commission, they generally follow the CHMP recommendation and approve them within two months.

(Report by Tanishaa Nadkar and Justin George Varghese in Bengaluru, edited by James Emmanuel)