- A Delaware district court judge has denied a motion from Gilead Sciences (GILD +3.4%) that HIV triple combo pill Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, tenofovir alafenamide) does not infringe on a ViiV Healthcare patent covering rival HIV med Tivicay (dolutegravir).
- Judge Colm Connolly said,"It is not clear from the claims or written description of the patent that a difluoro benzyl ring necessarily excludes a trifluoro benzyl ring."
- The case will continue with a seven-day jury trial set to begin on Monday, September 21.
- ViiV sued Gilead in February 2018 claiming that Biktarvy's integrase inhibitor bictegravir infringes its patent covering integrase strand transfer inhibitor dolutegravir and other compounds that include dolutegravir's unique chemical scaffold.
- ViiV Healthcare is the HIV-focused joint venture between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK +2.2%), Pfizer (PFE -0.2%) and Shionogi (OTCPK:SGIOY -2.0%).