Medivir AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, and Janssen R&D Ireland, a unit of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson, reported that simeprevir (TMC435), in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, resulted in a sustained virological response in a Phase III study in 79 percent of treatment-experienced genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C patients, compared to 37 percent receiving pegylated interferon and ribavirin alone

Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., reported interim results from its Phase II LONESTAR study evaluating eight- and 12-week courses of therapy with the once-daily fixed-dose combination tablet of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir, with and without ribavirin (RBV), in 60 genotype 1, treatment-naïve, noncirrhotic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients...In a company note, ISI Group analyst Mark Schoenebaum said the LONESTAR data "greatly strengthens GILD's position in the hepatitis C market with an all

BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, said the first patient was enrolled in a Phase I/II trial of BL-8020, an orally available, interferon-free treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV...Transgene SA, of Strasbourg, France, reported final data from the Phase II trial of TG4040 in genotype I chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) at the International Liver Congress of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said that new data from its Phase IIIb CONCISE study of 12-week teleprevir combination therapy in genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (IL28B CC genotype) showed that 87 percent (74/85) of patients had undetectable hepatitis C virus at week 12 (SVR12

Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc., of New Haven, Conn., said it started a Phase II trial of sovaprevir and ACH-3102, in combination with ribavirin, for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus patients who have not received prior therapy

Santaris Pharma A/S, of Hoersholm, Denmark, said the New England Journal of Medicine published online the final Phase IIa hepatitis C virus (HCV) data for microRNA-targeted miravirsen, its pan-HCV genotype antiviral agent

Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., said the data and safety monitoring board recommended that the ongoing Phase III trial testing a once-daily fixed-dose combination of nucleotide sofosbuvir and NS5A inhibitor ledipasvir with and without ribavirin for 12 weeks or 24 weeks in treatment-naïve genotype 1 hepatitis C patients continue without modification

Benitec Biopharma Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, selected the Duke Clinical Research Unit in Durham, N.C., as a site for its upcoming Phase I/II first-in-human trial of TT-034 in hepatitis C virus (HCV

BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, said it received approval from French regulators to start a Phase I/II trial of BL-8020, an oral, interferon-free treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV...Presidio Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Francisco, said it entered a nonexclusive collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, for a Phase IIa trial testing an interferon-free, all-oral, direct-acting antiviral combination treatment for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said preliminary data from a Phase IV study showed that 60 percent of African-American patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) who did not respond to prior treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin therapy had undetectable levels of HCV at week 12 when receiving Incivek (telaprevir) combination treatment

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Ridgefield, Conn., part of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, reported the first interim results in HCV/HIV co-infected patients from the company's ongoing hepatitis C (HCV) clinical trial program, HCVerso

Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., said top-line results from a Phase III (FUSION) study of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin in genotype 2 or 3 chronic hepatitis C virus met its primary efficacy endpoint of superiority compared to a historic control sustained virologic response rate of 25 percent

Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., said top-line results showed that two Phase III trials, one testing a 12-week course of once-daily nucleotide sofosbuvir in combination with ribavirin (FISSION) and the other testing the drug in combination with ribavirin and pegylated interferon (NEUTRINO), in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection met their primary endpoints

Medgenics Inc., of Misgav, Israel, said the first patient was enrolled in a Phase I/II trial testing its Infradure Biopump in hepatitis C virus (HCV

Medivir AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, said it entered a nonexclusive collaboration between Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., part of Johnson & Johnson, of New Brunswick, N.J., and Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., for the clinical development of an all-oral (interferon-free) direct-acting antiviral (DAA) hepatitis C (HCV) combination therapy

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, said it enrolled the first patients in its Phase III interferon-free (IFN-free) program, HCVerso, testing its IFN-free polymodal regimen combining faldaprevir (BI 201335), a next-wave once-daily protease inhibitor, and BI 207127, a non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor, plus ribavirin in hepatitis C virus

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Blue Bell, Pa., and partner VGX International Inc., of Mississauga, Ontario, said they will move Inovio's hepatitis C DNA vaccine into a Phase I/IIa trial by the end of this year

Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc., of New Haven, Conn., said it completed enrollment in a pilot Phase IIa trial evaluating ACH-3102, a second-generation pan-genotypic NS5A inhibitor, in combination with ribavirin in patients with chronic genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection

Medivir AB, of Huddinge, Sweden, began a second cohort in a Phase II trial of an interferon-free regimen combining simeprevir and sofosbuvir (GS7977) in hepatitis C, following an interim analysis of the first cohort in the trial, which included 80 prior null responders with genotype 1 virus