Replies to post #85664 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Re: VRTX C208 study / Pegasys vs Pegintron

Is the RVR difference and duration between the PEG's something observed in other studies as well?

Although it’s been known anecdotally that Pegasys is the better drug (it now has about 70% of the market), there has been a dearth of studies comparing Pegasys and Pegintron in a scientifically rigorous manner. It’s a curious aspect of drug development that it required the advent of a direct antiviral such as Telaprevir to finally demonstrate that Pegasys works better.

[DewDiligence]

Notes on VRTX’s AASLD webcast: For investors who have been following the Telaprevir program, there was nothing new on the webcast beyond the data reported in yesterday’s PR (#msg-43114192). Additional granularity on the C208 study will be presented on Tuesday (e.g. the precise number of 24-week vs 48-week patients in each arm), but the additional details will not be consequential from an investment standpoint, IMO.

At the very end of the webcast, Patrick Marcellin, the principal investigator of the C208 study, was asked whether he was now convinced that BID Telaprevir works as well as TID Telaprevir. His answer was, “Almost convinced” :- )