J&J Open to Expanding Hepatitis C Collaboration With Vertex

J&J Open to Expanding Hepatitis C Collaboration With Vertex
Makiko Kitamura on April 20, 2012

Bloomberg

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) (JNJ)’s Janssen unit may explore expanding a hepatitis C collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) (VRTX), said Gaston Picchio, vice president of Janssen’s global clinical virology and hepatitic disease area.

“We remain open to see if we can expand our collaboration,” Picchio said in an interview today in Barcelona, where he’s attending the European Association for the Study of the Liver annual meeting. “Vertex has announced plans for developing interferon-free therapies. We are partners, so that puts us in a better position to be a part of that,” should studies prove to be promising.

J&J is improving the labeling of the protease inhibitor telaprevir, which was approved by regulators last year, and conducting clinical trials such as those that examine less-frequent dosage, Picchio said. New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&J is also collaborating with Medivir AB (MVIRB) on the protease inhibitor TMC435 in combinations that exclude interferon, a core component of the current standard of care.

To contact the reporter on this story: Makiko Kitamura in London at mkitamura1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Phil Serafino at pserafino@bloomberg.net