Antivirals Combined Without Interferon: New Trial
Pharmasset Announces Initiation of Hepatitis Antiviral Combination Study
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Pharmasset, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, Roche and InterMune, a biotechnology company, have announced that the first patients have been dosed in an innovative clinical trial in patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus.
The trial is said to be the first to investigate the combination of two oral antiviral molecules in the absence of interferon. The initial study will evaluate the safety and combined antiviral activity of R7227 (ITMN-191), a protease inhibitor, and R7128, a polymerase inhibitor, in 14 days of combination therapy in treatment-naive patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1.
This direct antiviral combination study represents an important first step in evaluating the therapeutic potential of an all-oral, interferon-free combination treatment for HCV, the three companies said.
Dan Welch, chairman, CEO and president of InterMune, said: “The goal is to develop a treatment regimen that is better tolerated, shorter in duration and delivers higher sustained viral response rates. We are pleased to participate in the first clinical exploration of an all-oral, direct antiviral regimen towards that goal.”
Source: Datamonitor
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