One-a-day HIV pill given the go-ahead

European health officials have given the go-ahead to the first HIV medication that involves taking just one pill a day.

Atripla combines three existing drugs and was developed as a collaboration between three rival pharmaceutical companies - Gilead Sciences, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck.

Following the announcement, Gilead senior vice-president Paul Carter told the BBC that, despite the work that had gone into developing the medication, efforts would be made to keep the treatment affordable.

"There has been a huge amount of manufacturing work to bring this drug to the market," he explained.

"But nevertheless we anticipate that across Europe, Atripla will be available at a price which is in parity with the sum of its component parts," he added.

The BBC also reported that Merck are currently attempting to make the same medication available to HIV/AIDS sufferers in Africa, at a lower price.

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