Could This Be The Biggest Advance in Hepatitis C since Gilead Sciences' Sovaldi?

Tiny biotech stock Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACHN ) reported what could be pretty big news for hepatitis C patients this week. The clinical stage biotechnology company released data showing that combining its ACH-3102 with Gilead Sciences' (NASDAQ: GILD ) Sovaldi achieved 100% cure rates in as little as six weeks of treatment. The success of that combination is prompting Achillion to launch a study of the two drugs over an even shorter 4-week dosing period. If that study pans out, it could be the biggest advance in hepatitis C treatment since Sovaldi won approval in 2013.

Read more....

Shorter Hepatitis C Treatment Durations May Be a Reality

Boston—Can treatment of hepatitis C infection with new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) be shortened to less than 12 weeks? Interim results from a recent trial suggest treatment durations of eight or even four weeks may be possible with the right combination of drugs.

Shortened regimens would help contain health care costs, with 12-week courses of new DAAs hovering close to $100,000. Prolonged treatment may also compromise patient adherence to therapy, experts said.

“Optimized regimens may allow an eight-week duration that may be broadly applicable across diverse patient groups,” said Eric Lawitz, MD, vice president of scientific and research development at The Texas Liver Institute, in San Antonio, who led the study. Dr. Lawitz, also clinical professor of medicine at the San Antonio University of Texas Health Science Center, said large randomized trials are needed before changes to clinical practice can be made.

Read more...