• Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, treated the first patient in a Phase IIb trial of CTS-1027 in combination with Peginterferon Alfa-2a (Pegasys) and ribavirin in treatment-experienced hepatitis C virus null responders. Safety, tolerability and antiviral activity of the triple combination will be assessed after up to 48 weeks. About 260 patients will be enrolled. CTS-1027 is a small molecule designed to inhibit matrix metalloproteinases.