Idenix Pharmaceuticals (IDIX)

[gofishmarko]

>> However, results in the test-tube don't always accurately reflect what is happening in a person. <<

I agree with this and thus believe there's a reasonably good chance that NM283 can be effectively combined with riba , in spite of the recent replicon data which showed a negative interaction. Combine good news on the interaction data with today's setback to the most immediate competition and IDIX would be sittin' (sp?) in high cotton.

However , I won't be convinced by drug-drug interaction data showing that plasma AUCs are unaffected or that intracellular phosphorylation is unaffected or that tissue distributions are unaffected , etc. The only thing I want to hear about is antiviral activity --- viral load declines and , ultimately , SVR rates.

Ribavirin seems to do several things that benefit HCV treatment , and one of those is via interaction with the polymerase causing catastrophic error substitutions that result in less fit or nonviable virions. We have to assume that there could be competition for the polymerase active site between NM283 and ribavirin which could act to the detriment of one or both molecule's activities , until this is proven not to be the case by viral load data.

A negative interaction would still leave the option of sequential treatment with a riba + pegifn regimen , though that would be less preferable , obviously.