Gilead Sciences and Tibotec have announced that they will collaborate on a new fixed-dose combination HIV pill that will include Gilead’s Truvada (tenofovir and emtricitabine) and an experimental Tibotec drug called rilpivirine (TMC-278).

Rilpivirine is a once-daily second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor in the same class as Tibotec’s Intelence (etravirine). Early data published thus far indicate that rilpivirine, when combined with two other drugs, might have similar efficacy and tolerability as a combination including Sustiva (efavirenz).

Gilead stated that it will have exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the new combination pill in the developed world, while Tibotec will be responsible for marketing it in developing countries.