FACTBOX-Gilead dominates HIV/AIDS drugs market

July 19 (Reuters) - About two dozen different drugs are
approved to fight the human immunodeficiency virus that causes
AIDS. They are used in so-called cocktails to attack the virus
from several different directions.

Californian upstart Gilead (GILD.O) has outflanked larger
rivals to dominate the HIV/AIDS sector, thanks to a
single-minded focus on producing convenient combination pills.

The industry's giants are fighting back, with
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) and Pfizer (PFE.N) joining forces last
year to create a new joint company for HIV called ViiV.

Generic competition means sales of existing drugs are set to
peak at around $12 billion in 2012 before halving by 2019,
according to market research group Datamonitor, putting pressure
on manuacturers to deliver new medicines from their pipelines.

WORLD'S TOP HIV DRUGS

Drug Company 2009 sales U.S. approval

Truvada Gilead (GILD.O) $2.49 bln 2004

Atripla Gilead/Bristol $2.38 bln 2006

Reyataz Bristol-Myers (BMY.N) $1.40 bln 2003

Kaletra Abbott Labs (ABT.N) $1.37 bln 2000

Epzicom ViiV $855 mln 2004

Isentress Merck (MRK.N) $752 mln 2007

Viread Gilead $668 mln 2001

Combivir ViiV $665 mln 1997

Prezista J&J (JNJ.N) $592 mln 2006

Epivir ViiV $542 mln 1995

source: Thomson Reuters; U.S Food and Drug Administration
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler)