The "cocktail" was approved for sale by the FDA on Wednesday and will be made available within seven working days. The new drug is expected to be a big help to HIV-positive patients.
Although the new drug comes at a $1,100 price tag per month.
Dr. Andrew von Eschenback, FDA acting commissioner told Associated Press, "As a physician, I know -- whether in dealing with cancer or dealing with infection -- that's an opportunity to significantly improve compliance. And compliance with therapy is as important as the therapy itself for a successful outcome."
Joel Martin, head of Gilead Sciences Inc., the manufacturer of the two drugs in Atripla said they are hoping the single pill will assist patients to stick to their pill-taking regiment to check the humane immunodeficiency virus.
He said this could lead to the slow down and ultimately, transmission of drug-resistant strains of the virus. If a patient takes less than 95 percent of their required pill, the strains could evolve, he said.
Martin said, "The fewer pills, the better they are able to achieve that 95 percent threshold."
Atripla is a combination of Viread (tenofovir), Emtriva (emtricitabine) and Sustiva (efavirenz).
