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Evotaz

Generic name: atazanavir and cobicistat
Treatment for: HIV Infection

Update: Evotaz (atazanavir and cobicistat) Now FDA Approved - January 29, 2015

Bristol-Myers Squibb Submits NDA to FDA for Fixed-Dose Combination of Atazanavir Sulfate with Cobicistat

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE) April 14, 2014 --Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) announced today the submission of a new drug application (NDA) on April 4, 2014 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a fixed-dose combination of atazanavir sulfate, a protease inhibitor marketed as Reyataz®, and cobicistat, an investigational pharmacokinetic enhancer, or boosting agent, that can increase the level of certain HIV-1 medicines in the blood and make them more effective. Bristol-Myers Squibb is seeking approval of the fixed-dose combination tablet for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. If approved, atazanavir sulfate and cobicistat could offer patients living with HIV-1 a single tablet that eliminates the need to take a boosting agent in a separate tablet. Cobicistat is being developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Approximately 245,000 patients in the U.S. have been treated with Reyataz since its launch in 2003, nearly twice that of any other protease inhibitor launched since that time. Reyataz is currently used in combination with other antiretroviral agents and is most commonly used with ritonavir, a pharmacokinetic enhancer. A once-daily therapy, Reyataz is indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced adult patients and pediatric patients six years of age or older.

“Bristol-Myers Squibb is committed to enhancing our existing regimens, as well as developing new therapies to make HIV treatment simpler for patients,” said Brian Daniels, M.D., senior vice president, Global Development and Medical Affairs, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “The submission of this NDA represents an important step forward in our efforts to provide patients with new options for Reyataz treatment.”

Reyataz is the only protease inhibitor that has been evaluated with cobicistat in a prospective, randomized, Phase III double-blind clinical trial (Gilead’s Study 114), which compared the efficacy and safety of cobicistat-boosted Reyataz (atazanavir sulfate) versus ritonavir-boosted Reyataz in treatment-naïve adult patients for 48 weeks. Study 114 may support the clinical use of atazanavir and cobicistat together.

“Adhering to HIV treatment regimens can be challenging for some patients, and if the prescribed medications are not taken properly, it could result in treatment failure,” said Calvin J. Cohen, M.D., MPH, director of research, Community Research Initiative of New England and internist, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. “If approved by the FDA, a once-daily, fixed-dose combination of atazanavir sulfate and cobicistat would offer patients living with HIV-1 another treatment option.”

In October 2011, Bristol-Myers Squibb announced a licensing agreement with Gilead for the development and commercialization of a once-daily, single tablet fixed-dose combination product of atazanavir sulfate and Gilead's cobicistat. Under the terms of the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb and its affiliates are responsible for the formulation, manufacturing, registration, distribution and commercialization of the atazanavir sulfate and cobicistat fixed-dose combination product worldwide. Gilead retains sole rights for the manufacture, development and commercialization of cobicistat as a stand-alone product and for use in combination with other agents.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb’s HIV Research Portfolio

For more than 20 years, Bristol-Myers Squibb has focused on discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines to help meet the needs of patients living with HIV-1 and continues to pursue advances in treatment, for both children and adults with HIV-1. Studies are ongoing for new treatments including an HIV-1 attachment inhibitor (BMS-663068), an HIV-1 maturation inhibitor (BMS-955176) and an anti-PD-L1 (BMS-936559).

About Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information, please visit http://www.bms.com or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmsnews.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that the combination therapy mentioned will receive regulatory approval or, if approved, that it will become a commercially successful product. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Posted: April 2014

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