Aa
Early stage compound knocks down virus in one dose
-Bristol compound potent against hepatitis C
Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:05pm EDT
(Adds details about Merck drug)
* Early stage compound knocks down virus in one dose
* Drug may be powerful addition in hepatitis C cocktail
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO, April 21 (Reuters) - An experimental Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY.N) compound called BMS-790052 is proving to be the most potent yet at treating hepatitis C, an infection poorly treated with existing drugs, company researchers said on Wednesday.
An early, phase I safety study of the compound found it was highly effective at blocking the protein NS5A, a new target that might provide one more weapon against a virus that can quickly develop resistance.
"A lot like HIV, it is anticipated that a combination of at least three drugs will be required to prevent the emergence of resistance," said Bristol-Myers Squibb's Nicholas Meanwell, who worked on the study published in the journal Nature.
"We are targeting a different protein. This will provide a unique resistance profile," Meanwell said in a telephone interview.
Hepatitis damages the liver, causing chronic liver problems, liver cancer, cirrhosis and death.
It is the leading cause of liver disease worldwide, affecting an estimated 3.2 million people in the United States alone and 170 million worldwide.
Typical treatment involves 52 weeks of interferon plus the antiviral drug ribavirin. The combination works in only about half of all patients, and some develop such taxing side effects that they have to stop.
The Bristol-Myers compound works differently than a new class of drugs called protease inhibitors being developed by Merck's (MRK.N) Schering-Plough division and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX.O) .
SUPPRESSING VIRAL LOAD
Meanwell said BMS-790052 helps inhibit the hepatitis C virus from replicating.
Infected patients who got a single 100 milligram dose of the compound saw their viral load -- a measurement of the virus in their blood -- drop more than 99.9 percent.
Early results of a phase II study presented last week at the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Vienna were also promising. Seven out of eight patients who got the highest dose of the drug had undetectable levels of the virus. The eighth patient had stopped taking the drug for a while.
"It's got potency and effectiveness in a single dose that is unmatched by anything else," Meanwell said.
He said the findings are very early, but the hope is that the compound could be used in a cocktail of drugs to keep the virus from developing resistance long enough for patients to clear the disease.
"The data we've seen so far is extremely encouraging," he said.
New treatments for hepatitis C infection have drawn much attention on Wall Street.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals' experimental hepatitis C treatment telaprevir, which is expected to have phase III results in the second and third quarters of this year, is projected to have peak U.S. sales of $3.9 billion in 2013, if it wins U.S. approval as expected in the first half of 2011.
Merck & Co, which is developing a rival drug in the same class called boceprevir, will present phase III results later this year.
See: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2121908320100421?type=marketsNews
Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:05pm EDT
(Adds details about Merck drug)
* Early stage compound knocks down virus in one dose
* Drug may be powerful addition in hepatitis C cocktail
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO, April 21 (Reuters) - An experimental Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY.N) compound called BMS-790052 is proving to be the most potent yet at treating hepatitis C, an infection poorly treated with existing drugs, company researchers said on Wednesday.
An early, phase I safety study of the compound found it was highly effective at blocking the protein NS5A, a new target that might provide one more weapon against a virus that can quickly develop resistance.
"A lot like HIV, it is anticipated that a combination of at least three drugs will be required to prevent the emergence of resistance," said Bristol-Myers Squibb's Nicholas Meanwell, who worked on the study published in the journal Nature.
"We are targeting a different protein. This will provide a unique resistance profile," Meanwell said in a telephone interview.
Hepatitis damages the liver, causing chronic liver problems, liver cancer, cirrhosis and death.
It is the leading cause of liver disease worldwide, affecting an estimated 3.2 million people in the United States alone and 170 million worldwide.
Typical treatment involves 52 weeks of interferon plus the antiviral drug ribavirin. The combination works in only about half of all patients, and some develop such taxing side effects that they have to stop.
The Bristol-Myers compound works differently than a new class of drugs called protease inhibitors being developed by Merck's (MRK.N) Schering-Plough division and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX.O) .
SUPPRESSING VIRAL LOAD
Meanwell said BMS-790052 helps inhibit the hepatitis C virus from replicating.
Infected patients who got a single 100 milligram dose of the compound saw their viral load -- a measurement of the virus in their blood -- drop more than 99.9 percent.
Early results of a phase II study presented last week at the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Vienna were also promising. Seven out of eight patients who got the highest dose of the drug had undetectable levels of the virus. The eighth patient had stopped taking the drug for a while.
"It's got potency and effectiveness in a single dose that is unmatched by anything else," Meanwell said.
He said the findings are very early, but the hope is that the compound could be used in a cocktail of drugs to keep the virus from developing resistance long enough for patients to clear the disease.
"The data we've seen so far is extremely encouraging," he said.
New treatments for hepatitis C infection have drawn much attention on Wall Street.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals' experimental hepatitis C treatment telaprevir, which is expected to have phase III results in the second and third quarters of this year, is projected to have peak U.S. sales of $3.9 billion in 2013, if it wins U.S. approval as expected in the first half of 2011.
Merck & Co, which is developing a rival drug in the same class called boceprevir, will present phase III results later this year.
See: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2121908320100421?type=marketsNews
What is the hold-up anyway? There are so many promising treatments just on the horizon but the horizon seems th move away as we go toward it. We have people who don't respond to SOC dying every single day. Why do we need to wait for the drug companies to beat the horse nearly to death before we are allowed to ride it. I understand that the drug companies do not want to be liable in case these new treatments do strange things to people but some people are desperate. Some would take any risk rather than face certain death. What is wrong with the society we live in? We place the greed of the business world above the need of the real world.
Volvic,
I'm sure susan didn't misunderstand you and wasn't offended. She's not like that at all :)
deb
I'm sure susan didn't misunderstand you and wasn't offended. She's not like that at all :)
deb
I am fully aware we all have different circumstances and live in different countries where medical coverage can be difficult or impossible to get.
My mail was referring more to the fact I am happy that we have pharma companies researching and developing drugs-medications which are of more benefit and realise not everyone can reap benefits immediately.
I can feel or you and your comment " I want that drug, sign me up for it!" we all want success and want and hope for when traditional combination treatment does not work hope.
let us just hope that you manage to knock this horrible bug and allow others in the future to reap benefits of new medications.
There was no offence intended and wish you despite of the situation with your medical coverage all the best and eventual clearance.
My mail was referring more to the fact I am happy that we have pharma companies researching and developing drugs-medications which are of more benefit and realise not everyone can reap benefits immediately.
I can feel or you and your comment " I want that drug, sign me up for it!" we all want success and want and hope for when traditional combination treatment does not work hope.
let us just hope that you manage to knock this horrible bug and allow others in the future to reap benefits of new medications.
There was no offence intended and wish you despite of the situation with your medical coverage all the best and eventual clearance.
The thing is that some people may not be able to wait for the new drugs as they seem to be taking a long time to get to the marketplace. On top of that a lot of people will not be able to afford to pay for these new drugs. I'm on a Medicare Advantage plan and their CURRENT drug formulatory only will cover Pegasys after the GAP. Well unfortunately that means that you have to spend over $5,000.00 of your own money up front and then, the horrendous monthly co-pays for both the Riba and the Pegasys on this particular drug plan... that's not including rescue drugs costs and the NEW drugs on top of that. With my currently being unemployed and my husband being under-employed there is no way in God's green earth that I will be able to afford anything coming out. I need to be able to get accepted into a later stage clinical trial, which in itself will take another miracle. One could say, "Oh, but wait, the gov't run health changes are coming..." Well, that's another wait, possibly until 2014 and those changes are set to cut Medicare Advantage plans even deeper. I don't mean to be casting a negative angle on all of this, but somebody needs to be realistic, too. All of us aren't going to be able to halt our liver damage. I have hope that I will and I pray that I will, but there are no guarantees in that. There are others who are far worse off than I am, that won't be able to wait and I hope and pray that these drug companies will provide them with the compassionate care and ability to have early access to these drugs..., free of charge I might add. Susan400
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