Combinations of different ARVs are used to treat people living with HIV/AIDS to reduce the risk of them developing resistance. Fixed dose combinations make life easier for HIV/AIDs patients and increase compliance by reducing the number of pills to be taken each day. Atripla® – the first once-daily single tablet regimen for the treatment of HIV infection in adults – is a fixed dose combination of the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) efavirenz, and the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Efavirenz is marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb as Sustiva® and by Merck & Co., Inc. as Stocrin®. Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate are commercialized by Gilead Sciences under the tradenames Emtriva® and Viread®.

Atripla® was developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead and approved by the US FDA in July 2006, Health Canada in October 2007 and the European Commission in December 2007. On January 15, 2008, the WHO granted Atripla® with prequalification status.

In August 2006, Gilead and Merck announced an agreement for the distribution of Atripla® in 94 developing countries around the world. Gilead is manufacturing Atripla® using efavirenz supplied by Merck, and Merck is distributing Atripla® in these markets. In all of these countries, Atripla® is being sold at significantly discounted prices. As of 1 April 2008, 55 countries – including most in sub-Saharan Africa – had either granted regulatory approval for Atripla® or allowed the product to be imported. Tens of thousands of patients are already benefitting from this first-of-its-kind fixed dose combination ARV.