Incivo: second hepatitis C protease inhibitor launched

PHARMACOLOGY

Telaprevir is a direct inhibitor of NS3 protease, which is required by the hepatitis C virus for replication.¹

CLINICAL STUDIES

Telaprevir has been investigated in 2 studies in treatment-naïve patients (ADVANCE and ILLUMINATE) and 1 study in patients previously treated with peginterferon and ribavirin (REALIZE). Patients received telaprevir, in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, for 8 or 12 weeks followed by 12–24 weeks of peginterferon alfa and ribavirin alone, depending on virological response. In all studies, patients who received telaprevir had a significantly higher rate of sustained virological response at 24 weeks after last planned dose of study drug.^2–4

REFERENCES

1. Incivo Summary of Product Characteristics, 2011.
2. Jacobson IM et al. N Engl J Med 2011; 364(25): 2405-16.
3. Sherman KE et al. N Engl J Med 2011; 365(11): 1014-24.
4. Zeuzeum S et al. N Engl J Med 2011; 364(25): 2417-28.

View Incivo drug record

Further information: Janssen-Cilag