Replies to post #106397 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

There will always be better drugs at earlier stages but I figure Roche has the bucks to spend to take what they have and know well forward and see if there is still a tox signal or not (at the lower dose boosted with ritonavir).

Ritonavir boosting is not the solution—it’s the problem. This is what I’ve been saying all along, and Dan Welch finally acknowledged it on ITMN’s CC on Oct 6.

[DewDiligence]

Presuming both Merck and Vertex get their PI's approved I was just speculating Merck may somehow market boceprevir in a package with PEG-Intron and try to compete on price…

I don’t think MRK will do that; if they did, the backlash would IMO be loud and immediate.

…even with the longer treatment duration.

It’s not clear that Boceprevir will have a materially longer average course of therapy than Telaprevir when all is said and done. In the treatment-naïve setting, both drugs will likely be prescribed using a response-guided regimen.