Pharmasset Inc. (fka VRUS)

[oc631]

VRTX&MRK- Reasons to give thanks to the competition


The shared goal of VRTX and MRK are to diagnose and treat as many GT1 patients as possible before the arrival of all-oral therapy. Once a GT1 patient is diagnosed that patient then has to decide whether to start interferon-based treatment or wait for the possibility of an oral.

Here's the kicker. One out of every four HCV patients in the U.S. and one out of every three patients in Europe are non-GT1 patients. While competition races to diagnose and treat GT1 patients they are filling the warehouse with patients from other genotypes which indirectly benefits Pharmasset.