PROVE 3 SVR results accepted as late-breaker oral presentation -- First clinical results for VCH-222 in HCV patients accepted as poster presentation
Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced that three abstracts related to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor telaprevir were accepted for presentation at the 44th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Copenhagen, Denmark, April 22-26, 2009. The accepted abstracts include a late breaker oral presentation of sustained viral response (SVR) rates from the PROVE 3 clinical trial of telaprevir in patients who failed prior HCV therapy. In addition, three abstracts related to Vertex's HCV polymerase inhibitor VCH-222 were accepted as poster presentations, including a presentation of the first clinical results for VCH-222 in HCV patients. The abstracts can be accessed through the EASL website, www.easl.ch. In accordance with the EASL embargo policy, the accepted abstract titles are provided below:
Telaprevir Late Breaker Presentation:
1. Telaprevir in Hepatitis C Genotype-1-Infected Patients with Prior Non-Response, Viral Breakthrough or Relapse to Peginterferon-alfa-2a/b and Ribavirin Therapy: SVR Results of the PROVE 3 Study; April 26, 2009
Telaprevir Presentations:
2. Results of a Proof of Concept Study (C210) of Telaprevir Monotherapy and in Combination with Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin in Treatment-Naive Genotype 4 HCV Patients; April 23, 2009
3. Activity of Telaprevir Alone or in Combination with Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin in Treatment-Naive Genotype 2 and 3 HCV Patients: Interim Results of Study C209; April 24, 2009
VCH-222 Presentations:
1. Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of the HCV Polymerase Inhibitor VCH-222 Following Single Dose Administration in Healthy Volunteers and Antiviral Activity in HCV-Infected Individuals; April 25, 2009, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CET, Poster Presentation
2. Identification and characterization of VCH-222, A Novel Potent and Selective Non-Nucleoside HCV Polymerase Inhibitor; April 25, 2009, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CET, Poster Presentation
3. Preclinical Pharmacokinetic and ADME Characterization of VCH-222, A Novel Non-Nucleoside HCV NS5B Polymerase Inhibitor; April 25, 2009, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CET, Poster Presentation
Other EASL Presentations:
Two abstracts related to VCH-916, an additional polymerase inhibitor that Vertex gained as part of its acquisition of ViroChem Pharma in March 2009, were also accepted for presentation at EASL and are listed below:
Safety, Tolerability and Antiviral Activity of VCH-916, A Novel Non-Nucleoside HCV Polymerase Inhibitor in Patients with Chronic HCV Genotype-1 Infection; April 24, 2009, 5:45 - 6:00 p.m. CET, Oral Presentation
Genotypic and Phenotypic Analysis of HCV NS5B Variants Selected From Patients Treated with VCH-916; April 25, 2009, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CET, Poster Presentation
About Telaprevir and VCH-222
Telaprevir (VX-950) is an investigational oral inhibitor of HCV protease, an enzyme essential for viral replication, and is one of the most advanced investigational antiviral agents in development that specifically targets HCV. Telaprevir is in Phase 3 clinical trials in treatment-naive and treatment-failure patients.
VCH-222 is a small molecule non-nucleoside inhibitor of HCV NS5B polymerase that completed a viral kinetic study involving five treatment-naive genotype 1a and 1b HCV infected patients. In the study, VCH-222 was dosed as 750 mg twice daily. Vertex gained VCH-222 as part of its acquisition of ViroChem Pharma Inc. in March 2009. VCH-222 is in Phase 1 clinical development.
