Benzinga | Nov 24, 2021 09:33AM EST

Gilead, Merck Stop Enrollment In Mid-Stage HIV Combination Therapy Trial

Gilead Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:GILD) and Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) have temporarily paused enrollment in the Phase 2 study evaluating the combination regimen of islatravir and lenacapavir in HIV infection.

* The temporary pause has been implemented out of an abundance of caution to allow the companies to consider potential protocol adjustments to the trial after Merck decided to stop the MK-8507 combination HIV trial.

* Participants enrolled in this trial will continue to receive the study drug and be monitored per the current protocol.

* The Phase 2 study is designed to evaluate the safety and antiviral effect of an oral weekly regimen of islatravir in combination with lenacapavir in virologically suppressed people aged 18 years and older with HIV.

* Lenacapavir is Gilead's investigational long-acting HIV-1 capsid inhibitor.

* Islatravir (MK-8591) is Merck's investigational nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor under evaluation in more than ten clinical trials.

* Price Action: MRK shares are down 0.07% at $82.74, while GILD stock is up 0.30% at $70.84 during Wednesday's market session on the last check.