Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Roche drops R1626 for HCV:

http://www.roche.com/investors/ir_update/inv-update-2008-10-21.htm

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Development of R1626, a polymerase inhibitor being investigated as a treatment for infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV), was terminated in the third quarter due to new and unexpected safety findings from a phase IIb study.
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These “unexpected” safety findings were neutropenia and they were, in fact, fully expected and were observed in Roche’s prior phase-2 study (#msg-19006768).

The demise of R1626 is not a huge loss for Roche because R7128, which Roche licensed from VRUS, is simply a better drug.

R7128 and ITMN-19, which is also owned by Roche, have the inside track for studies that test two novel HCV agents in combination.


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