Gilead Sciences, has announced a new licensing agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), a UN -backed public health organisation, to expand access to bictegravir (BIC) upon regulatory approval in the US. BIC is a novel investigational integrase strand transfer inhibitor for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults. Through this agreement, MPP can sub-license rights to BIC to generic drug companies in India, China and South Africa to manufacture therapies containing BIC for distribution in 116 low- and middle-income countries. Gilead has also expanded its licensing agreements with Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Strides Shasun Ltd, Mylan Laboratories Ltd and SeQuent Scientific Ltd to include BIC, and products incorporating the compound, for distribution in 116 developing countries.