Hepatitis C News; EASL 2011

Greetings,

In the news today is the 46th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver which will take place in Berlin, Germany, March 30 - April 3, 2011. You may have noticed a link located on the sidebar of this blog which includes the upcoming Oral Presentations and Abstracts/Poster Sessions. The abstracts though published online, are under a press embargo until the conference begins on March 30. You can find abstracts through the link below.

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The International Liver Congress™ 2011 by EASL (46th annual meeting)

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During the meeting all media updates will be posted on the blog in the order they are received, you will find them under this link also on the sidebar;

The News EASL .

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It can be a challenge to find your way around the EASL site, here are a few direct links

Viral Hepatitis C: Clinical (new compounds, resistance)

Viral Hepatitis C: Clinical (therapy)

Late-Breakers

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Click here to search for additional abstracts/poster sessions

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Telaprevir and VX-222 combined with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin

As noted yesterday in the press release Vertex will be presenting 15 abstracts at the EASL including data from the ongoing Phase 2 study evaluating response-guided, 12- and 24-week regimens of "telaprevir and VX-222" combined with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin.

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What Is VX-222 ?

"VX-222 is an investigational, oral, non-nucleoside inhibitor of HCV NS5B polymerase. VX-222 is currently being evaluated in combination with telaprevir, pegylated-interferon and ribavirin in a Phase 2 study. Vertex has worldwide commercial rights for VX-222."

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What Is Telaprevir ?

"Telaprevir is an investigational, oral inhibitor that acts directly on the HCV protease, an enzyme essential for viral replication. To date, more than 2,500 people with genotype 1 hepatitis C have received telaprevir in Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies. Vertex has received priority review for its applications for the approval of telaprevir by the U.S. FDA and Health Canada."

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A quick reminder about the two drug combo;

Back in October of 2010 the VX-222/telaprevir combo being tested in low doses was stopped because of viral breakthrough. In December the higher dose of the VX-222/telaprevir combo was halted in part of the Vertex study.

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The abstract; VX-222 -with telaprevir alone or in combination with Peginterferon/ribavirin is available at the EASL website.

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Pharmasset PSI-7977 and PSI-938

Speaking of oral drug combos, a few abstracts from Pharmasset ; Combination of PSI-7977 and PSI-938 with and without SOC. Treatment with the two oral drugs "alone" resulted in 94%, ( or 15 out of 16 participants reporting ) undetectable after 14 days, as reported in the interim results from the small study released yesterday.

You can view both Vertex and the Pharmasset abstracts here.

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Gilead’s GS-9256 and GS-9190 four-drug combination

Gilead’s four-drug combination of GS-9256 and GS-9190 in combination with SOC=Peg-interferon and ribavirin is also being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver. You can view that abstract here.

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Merck Boceprevir

Excerpt from the press release; In total, more than 20 abstracts highlighting Merck medicines and investigational therapies for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection will be presented, including 3 oral presentations and 17 posters for VICTRELIS.

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The EASL presentations will also include new analyses of the pivotal Phase III data for VICTRELIS administered in combination with PEGINTRON ® (peginterferon alfa-2b) and ribavirin from the HCV SPRINT-2 and HCV RESPOND-2 studies:

.Response-guided therapy with VICTRELIS in combination with current standard therapy among patients with chronic HCV genotype 1, including special populations such as those with advanced fibrosis / cirrhosis;
Overall safety profile of VICTRELIS administered in combination with current standard therapy for chronic HCV; and
Potential predictive factors for chronic HCV treatment success, including response following 4 weeks of lead-in therapy and IL28B polymorphism.

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Quick Search For Abstracts

To Search for abstracts on Boceprevir simply click Search

1-Text to search: Type In Boceprevir

Click; 2-Poster Sessions

Click; 3- Abstract Title

Click; 4- The search button

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You could also search for the Key Poster Presentations named in the press release.

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High Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) Among Genotype 1 Previous Non-Responders and Relapsers to Peginterferon/Ribavirin When Re-Treated With Boceprevir Plus Peginterferon Alfa-2A/Ribavirin. S. Flamm et al. Late-Breaker Abstract 1366. Thursday, March 31.

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Response-Guided Therapy with Boceprevir Plus Peginterferon Alfa-2b/Ribavirin Reduces Duration in Naive and Peginterferon Alfa-2b/Ribavirin Previous-Treatment-Failure Patients with HCV Genotype 1. M.P. Manns et al. Abstract 448. Thursday, March 31.
Overall Safety Profile of Boceprevir Plus Peginterferon Alfa-2b/Ribavirin. M.P. Manns et al. Abstract 449. Thursday, March 31.

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Four-Week Therapy with Peginterferon Alfa-2b/Ribavirin Effectively Predicts Sustained Virologic Response in Treatment-Naïve and Previous-Treatment-Failure Patients with HCV-1 Treated with Boceprevir Plus Peginterferon Alfa-2b/Ribavirin. J.M. Viering et al. Abstract 481. Thursday, March 31.

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Utility of Historical Data Compared to Lead-In Response in Predicting Sustained Virologic Response in Non-Responders and Relapsers to Peginterferon/Ribavirin When Re-Treated With Boceprevir+Peginterferon Alfa-2b/Ribavirin (P/R). R. Esteban et al. Abstract 418. Thursday, March 31.

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Watch For More Updates On The Sidebar

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Updated March 8th;

Links To The; Upcoming Oral Presentations and Abstracts/Poster Sessions To Be Presented At The EASL March 30-April 3, 2011;

The International Liver Congress™ 2011 by EASL (46th annual meeting)

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In The News EASL

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