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New Hepatitis C Drug Enters Phase III Trial

October 6, 2006

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Nearly 1,300 people with Hepatitis C genotype 1, the most common strain in the US, will be testing a new drug in a Phase III trial. The new drug, Albuferon, will be compared with the current gold standards of HCV treatment, PEGASYS® and PEG-IFN alpha 2a.

Human Genome Sciences tests Hep C drug
United Press International

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. firm Human Genome Sciences said Wednesday it has begun a phase 3 trial of Albuferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

The company said it would test its albumin-interferon alpha 2b in more than 2,000 treatment-naive patients with the disease.

"We believe that Albuferon could become the best-in-class immunomodulator in treatment regimens for chronic hepatitis C, and we are pleased to move this important program forward," said H. Thomas Watkins, HGS's president and chief executive officer. "Advancing Albuferon to Phase 3 development is a major step toward the transformation of HGS into a development and commercialization company."

The phase 3 development program will compare therapy with Albuferon in combination with ribavirin, versus PEGASYS, or PEG-IFN alpha 2a, in combination with ribavirin.

The testing will consist of two separate clinical trials -- ACHIEVE 1, which will enroll at least 1,278 patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 -- and ACHIEVE 2/3, which will involve a minimum of 918 subjects with chronic hepatitis C genotype 2 or 3.

The studies will assess the drug's efficacy, safety and impact on health-related quality of life.

Posted by Editors at October 6, 2006 12:36 PM

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