Yes, it is worrying that a deal hasn't been done. Avexa can't market this drug by itself. I believe apricitabine is seen as just another combination drug in an already crowded market. What the fight against AIDS needs is new drugs with novel mechanisms, not copycat drugs with old, known-to-be-resistant targets.
Time will tell if this drug is even viable. There will be a nervous wait as the Phase III trial progresses.