Vertex Hep C Drug Improves Cure Rate in Study

Vertex Pharmaceuticals'(VRTX Quote) experimental hepatitis C drug telaprevir is capable of significantly improving cure rates in the most difficult-to-treat patients, according to final results from a phase II study released Wednesday afternoon.

The new data come from Vertex's PROVE 3 study, which enrolled 453 patients who had failed prior treatment with the current standard drug regimen for hepatitis C -- a 48-week course of long-acting interferon plus ribavirin. In the phase II study, these patients were randomized to receive either treatment with a combination of telaprevir plus the standard therapy or retreatment with the standard therapy alone.

In all, 51% of patients treated with a 24-week regimen that included 12 weeks of telaprevir reported undetectable levels of the hepatitis C virus six months after treatment. In hepatitis C parlance, that's known as a sustained virologic response, or SVR. Simply stated, these patients are considered cured of hepatitis C. ...