Biotech Gilead Sciences´s HIV treatment Truvada, a combination of the company´s Emtriva and Viread, has been named by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the preferred regimen for untreated HIV patients, giving Giread shares a boost.

Previously, both Truvada and competitor GlaxoSmithKline´s Epzicom (combining abacavir and lamivudine) were listed as the preferred treatments for new patients.

But it appears that in light of recent data on the drug abacavir, the HHS has stated the Glaxo drug would be considered an alternative rather than a preferred option.

Analysts had anticipated that recent negative data on abacavir could be aiding the European launch of Atripla, which is a combination of Emtriva, Viread and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Sustiva (also marketed as Stocrin).

Gilead´s Truvada has earnings of $ 549 million dollars in 3Q, totaling over $ 1.54 billion dollars in the first nine months of this year. GlaxoSmithKline´s Epzicom/Kivexa has sales of $ 206 million dollars in 3Q, totaling $ 610 million dollars in the same 9-month period. Atripla in the U.S. had sales for $ 428 million dollars in 3Q, adding up to almost $ 1.11 billion in the first nine months of the year.