Recall that we have said right along (since at least November of 2013) that Gilead has a two year lead on Merck with its Solvadi® regimen.
This Next Gen Hep C cure space is evolving at break-neck speed right now.
Do also recall that there are other competitors out ahead of Merck -- aiming to meet Gilead -- and they may arrive in about a year -- or mid 2015. Finally recall that today's data (an impressive 98 per cent "cure" rate) reflect only the easiest to treat patients: treament naive, and no cirrhosis of the liver. Oh, and this is only a sample size of 50.
Even so, this is good news for Whitehouse Station. Here is a bit of Reuters UK on it, overnight -- reporting onsite at the EASL confab now underway in London -- do go read it all:
. . . .Results of the study called C-Worthy were presented on Thursday at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in London. Researchers are due on Friday to present results of how the Merck pills fared in more difficult to treat patients, such has those who failed to be helped by prior treatments and those with more advanced liver disease. . . .
Gilead Sciences Inc, AbbVie and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co are also developing a new generation of all-oral hepatitis C treatments that in previous trials have demonstrated cure rates in excess of 90 percent, while cutting treatment duration to 12 weeks with few side effects.
Gilead, which later this year could have a one pill, once a day two-drug regimen approved in the United States, is widely perceived by Wall Street to be the best of the bunch with some analysts forecasting annual sales of $9 billion or more. . . .
I find myself unable to stop grinning this fine Spring morning. Can't imagine why. . . .
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