Idenix Pharmaceuticals (IDIX)

[gofishmarko]

>> Baraclude is effectively out of the running for Lamivudine-resistant patients. The battle will be between Hepsera, Telbivudine, and perhaps some newer agents. <<

I hadn't heard the news. Based on the statement below from a 10/06 review by Pawlotsky , I assumed entecavir was seeing some usage in lam-resistant patients :

http://clinicaloptions.com/Hepatitis/Treatment%20Updates/New%20Paradigm%20for%20HBV.aspx

Management of Resistance: Implications for Treatment Choice
Source: Focus on the Virus: A New Paradigm for the Management and Treatment of HBV

By: Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, MD, PhD


"One option for patients who develop resistance to lamivudine would be to switch to entecavir, which potently suppresses lamivudine-sensitive variants and also retains activity, albeit reduced, against lamivudine-resistant variants. However, given the risk of selecting additional “secondary” entecavir resistance mutations in lamivudine-resistant strains—which would lead to the loss of benefit from the switch—an alternative strategy is to continue lamivudine and add adefovir as a second drug or to switch to the combination of adefovir plus entecavir. If approved for the treatment of HBV, tenofovir will likely offer a good alternative to adefovir, since it exerts more potent antiviral activity than the 10 mg/day dose of adefovir."


To the extent that the battle is now between Hepsera and Tyzeka ( if it is , in fact ), I maintain that the victor is currently Hepsera based on scientific principles, until IDIX presents data to the contrary.

JMHO.