Vertex Reports First Quarter 2013 Financial Results and Reviews Recent Progress in Development Programs for Cystic Fibrosis and Hepatitis C

Vertex reported fourth successive quarterly loss on plunging sales of its hepatitis C drug, Incivek -Click here.. 

Vertex Reports First Quarter 2013 Financial Results and Reviews Recent Progress in Development Programs for Cystic Fibrosis and Hepatitis C

-First quarter 2013 total revenues of $328 million, including net product revenues of $206 million for INCIVEK in hepatitis C and $62 million for KALYDECO in cystic fibrosis-

-Cystic fibrosis: Enrollment ongoing in Phase 3 program for VX-809 in combination with ivacaftor for people with two copies of the F508del mutation-

-Hepatitis C: multiple all-oral combination studies ongoing with the nucleotide analogue HCV polymerase inhibitor VX-135-

Excerpt... Full press release here....

Hepatitis C

Vertex’s strategy in hepatitis C is to develop new all-oral treatment regimens of 12 weeks or less in duration with a goal of providing a high viral cure rate and improved tolerability.

Multiple Ongoing Studies of VX-135 as Part of All-Oral Treatment Regimens

Vertex is currently evaluating multiple all-oral regimens that include VX-135, Vertex’s nucleotide analogue hepatitis C virus (HCV) polymerase inhibitor. Ongoing and planned studies include:

Genotype 1
Two Phase 2 studies of VX-135 in combination with ribavirin are currently ongoing in people with genotype 1 HCV infection. Vertex today announced that one of these studies is fully enrolled.

A drug-drug interaction study of VX-135 in combination with simeprevir is ongoing in healthy volunteers. Simeprevir (TMC435) is a once-daily investigational hepatitis C protease inhibitor being jointly developed by Janssen R&D Ireland and Medivir AB.

Genotypes 1, 2 or 3 and People with Cirrhosis

Vertex plans to conduct two Phase 2 studies of VX-135 and Bristol-Myers Squibb's NS5A replication complex inhibitor daclatasvir. An initial study in people with genotype 1 HCV infection is planned for the second quarter of 2013. Vertex plans to begin a subsequent study in people infected with genotype 1, 2 or 3 HCV, including those with cirrhosis, in the second half of 2013, pending data from the initial study.

Vertex expects to obtain the first data from all-oral studies of VX-135 in the second half of 2013, including data from the initial study of VX-135 with daclatasvir and from the studies of VX-135 with ribavirin.

Data for ALS-2200 (VX-135) in Genotypes 2, 3 and 4 and in People with Cirrhosis Presented at EASL

At the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), Vertex announced new data from a 7-day viral kinetic study of ALS-2200 in people with genotypes 2, 3 and 4 HCV and those with cirrhosis. The data showed significant reductions in HCV RNA after seven days of dosing with ALS-2200 (200 mg) once daily and were consistent with previously reported data in people with genotype 1 chronic HCV infection. ALS-2200 was well-tolerated in this study, there were no serious adverse events and no patients discontinued due to adverse events. Additional details on these data were provided in a press release issued April 23, 2013.

Data from CONCISE Study of Telaprevir Presented at EASL

Also at EASL, Vertex announced new data from an interim analysis of the CONCISE study, which showed that treatment with telaprevir combination therapy for a total of 12 or 24 weeks resulted in high viral cure rates in people with genotype 1 HCV with the IL28B CC genotype who had a rapid viral response and completed at least 12 weeks of treatment. The safety profile of telaprevir combination therapy observed in the CONCISE study through the time of the interim analysis was similar to that seen in previously reported clinical trials. Additional details on these data were provided in a press release issued April 24, 2013.

Full Press Release Here........