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Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Infection

Infectious Diseases
5
Pipeline Programs
5
Companies
14
Clinical Trials
1 recruiting
0
Approved Products

Pipeline by Development Stage

Preclinical
Phase 1
Phase 1/2
Phase 2
Phase 2/3
Phase 3
On Market
0
1
0
2
2
0
0
Early DiscoveryClinical DevelopmentMarket

Infectious Diseases is an $11.9B market dominated by HIV and hepatitis C treatments in their peak revenue phases, reflecting a mature but stable therapeutic area.

$11.9B marketMature→ Stable30 products15 companies

Key Trends

  • HIV antiretroviral dominance: Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors account for 44% of spending
  • Patent cliff pressure: $2.8B in revenue from major products facing LOE between 2027–2031
  • High trial velocity: 9,337 active trials indicate sustained pipeline development despite market maturity

Career Verdict

Infectious Diseases offers stable, well-compensated roles with strong commercial demand, but limited growth upside—ideal for risk-averse professionals seeking established franchises rather than high-growth opportunities.

AI-generated market analysis based on FDA, CMS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and hiring data

Market Leaders

#1BIKTARVYStable
$3.2B
Gilead Sciences·Peak10.4yr
#2EPCLUSAStable
$877M
Gilead Sciences·Peak8.0yr
#3TIVICAYDeclining
$657M
GSK·Peak3.9yr
#4TRIUMEQDeclining
$632M
GSK·Peak3.9yr
#5GENVOYAStable
$626M
Gilead Sciences·Peak6.8yr

Drug Class Breakdown

Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
$5.2B(44%)

backbone of HIV treatment, stable demand

RNA Replicase Inhibitors
$1.8B(15%)

hepatitis C treatment, mature market

Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibitors
$1.4B(12%)

boosting agents in combination regimens

P-Glycoprotein Inhibitors
$343M(3%)

niche mechanism, limited growth

Career Outlook

Stable

Infectious Diseases offers predictable career progression and above-average compensation in Commercial roles, supported by 780 current openings and sustained demand from market incumbents. However, patent cliffs affecting $2.8B in near-term revenue (2027–2031) will compress margins and slow hiring after 2028, particularly in Commercial support and field-based roles. The area is best suited for mid-career professionals seeking stability over rapid growth, with limited appeal for early-career scientists pursuing innovation-driven research.

Breaking In

Enter via Commercial or Manufacturing roles at GSK, Sanofi, or Becton Dickinson to build market expertise and commanding salaries ($160K–$237K); avoid pure R&D tracks unless you target specific mechanisms like long-acting injectables.

For Experienced Professionals

Experienced professionals should pursue Market Access, Medical Affairs, or Commercial Leadership roles where patent cliff expertise commands premium compensation; consider consulting or biotech transition if R&D innovation is your priority.

In-Demand Skills

Market access and payer strategyBrand management in generic-transition environmentsManufacturing scale-up and supply chain optimizationMedical science liaison (MSL) capabilities for physician engagementHealth economics and real-world outcomes analysis

Best For

Brand ManagerMarket Access ManagerMedical Science LiaisonSales DirectorManufacturing EngineerHealth Economics Analyst

Hiring Landscape

$160K–$275K

Infectious Diseases hiring is heavily weighted toward Commercial roles (247 positions, 32% of total), reflecting mature market dynamics focused on market access and brand management. GSK and Becton Dickinson lead hiring (214 and 188 roles), but Gilead Sciences—the market leader by revenue—shows surprisingly low hiring (25 roles), signaling efficiency-driven operations. Salary progression favors Commercial ($275K avg) over R&D ($184K avg), indicating career acceleration through sales and marketing functions.

780
Open Roles
5
Companies Hiring
4
Departments

Top Hiring Companies

214Growing
100Stable
61Stable
51Growing

By Department

Commercial(32%)
$275K
Engineering(16%)
$237K
Manufacturing(14%)
$160K
Research & Development(9%)
$184K

Strong Commercial hiring with premium salaries suggests Infectious Diseases is an excellent landing spot for brand, sales, and market access professionals, but limited R&D hiring indicates reduced innovation investment.

Competitive Landscape

5 companies ranked by most advanced pipeline stage

MSD
MSDIreland - Ballydine
2 programs
1
1
ISLPhase 2/3
ISLPhase 2
Sharp Therapeutics
Sharp TherapeuticsPA - Pittsburgh
2 programs
1
1
ISLPhase 2/3
ISLPhase 2
Kite Pharma
Kite PharmaCA - El Segundo
1 program
1
VesatolimodPhase 1
Gilead Sciences
Gilead SciencesFOSTER CITY, CA
1 program
VesatolimodPHASE_11 trial
Active Trials
NCT05458102Terminated18Est. May 2023
Merck & Co.
Merck & Co.RAHWAY, NJ
1 program
ISLPHASE_2_35 trials
Active Trials
NCT07266831Recruiting570Est. Apr 2030
NCT07086079Completed12Est. Feb 2026
NCT06811246Completed20Est. Jul 2024
+2 more trials

Trial Timeline

Clinical trial activity over time

2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL
Gilead SciencesVesatolimod
Merck & Co.ISL
Merck & Co.ISL

Clinical Trials (14)

Total enrollment: 3,415 patients across 14 trials

A Study of Doravirine/Islatravir (DOR/ISL, MK-8591A) for the Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) Infection in Participants Who Previously Received DOR/ISL (MK-8591A-054)

Start: Mar 2023Est. completion: Sep 2028641 patients
Phase 3Active Not Recruiting

A Switch to Doravirine/Islatravir (DOR/ISL) in Participants With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Who Are Virologically Suppressed on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) (MK-8591A-051)

Start: Feb 2023Est. completion: Jul 2028553 patients
Phase 3Active Not Recruiting

Safety and Efficacy of a Switch to Doravirine/Islatravir in Participants With HIV-1 (MK-8591A-017)

Start: Feb 2020Est. completion: Aug 2024672 patients
Phase 3Completed

Effect of Sitagliptin on Graft Function Following Islet Transplantation

Start: Jul 2009Est. completion: Nov 201312 patients
Phase 3Terminated

A Clinical Study of Islatravir and Ulonivirine for People With HIV-1 Who Have Not Been Treated Before (MK-8591B-062)

Start: Dec 2025Est. completion: Apr 2030570 patients
Phase 2/3Recruiting

A Study of Islatravir (MK-8591) in Trans and Gender Diverse Participants (MK-8591-035)

Start: Oct 2022Est. completion: Mar 20240
Phase 2Withdrawn

Doravirine/Islatravir (DOR/ISL) in Pediatric Participants With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Who Are <18 Years of Age and Weigh ≥35 kg (MK-8591A-028)

Start: Nov 2020Est. completion: Jan 202342 patients
Phase 2Completed

A Study of Doravirine/Islatravir in Healthy Lactating Females (MK-8591A-061)

Start: Sep 2025Est. completion: Feb 202612 patients
Phase 1Completed

A Clinical Study of Islatravir and Its Interaction With Lamivudine (MK-8591-058)

Start: Feb 2024Est. completion: Jul 202420 patients
Phase 1Completed

A Study of Doravirine and Islatravir as a Single Entity or Combination Therapy and the Effect of Food in Healthy Adult Participants (MK-8591A-055)

Start: Jan 2024Est. completion: Mar 202424 patients
Phase 1Completed

A Study of MK-8507 and Islatravir (MK-8591) in Healthy Adult Participants (MK-8507-016)

Start: Jan 2024Est. completion: Jun 202436 patients
Phase 1Completed

Drug-Drug Interaction Study of Vesatolimod in Adults With HIV-1 Who Have Very Low or Undetectable Virus Levels

Start: Aug 2022Est. completion: May 202318 patients
Phase 1Terminated

Single-Dose Islatravir in Moderate Hepatic Impairment (MK-8591-030)

Start: Nov 2020Est. completion: Sep 202112 patients
Phase 1Completed

Rotavirus Gastroenteritis and Vaccine Usage in Rhode Island

Start: Jul 2009Est. completion: Nov 2019803 patients
N/ACompleted

Related Jobs in Infectious Diseases

Phase Legend

PreclinicalLab & animal studies
Phase 1Safety & dosing
Phase 2Efficacy testing
Phase 3Large-scale trials
On MarketApproved & available

Key Insights

1 actively recruiting trials targeting 3,415 patients
5 companies competing in this space

The information on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Drug information is sourced from FDA, DailyMed, and other government databases. Adverse event data from FAERS does not establish causation. Always consult a healthcare professional for medical decisions.