Experimental Drug Shows Promise in Curing Hepatitis C

Telaprevir, an experimental drug being developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., has been shown in mid-stage testing to nearly cut in half treatment time for hepatitis C, which affects more than 3 million Americans and 180 million people around the world, researchers said.

Telaprevir specifically attacks the hepatitis C virus and in studies sponsored by the drug’s maker, it reduced treatment time from one year to six months, officials said. Current hepatitis C treatments are based on a combination of the drugs peginterferon and ribavirin, which are only successful in curing the disease in less than half of those treated.

Hepatitis C is caused by a virus in the blood and can result in deadly liver damage and liver cancer. It may go undetected, since symptoms may not appear for years after infection. It is most often spread between people by sharing dirty drug needles, getting pricked with a hospital needle with infected blood, or being born to an infected mother.

The makers of Telaprevir may seek Food and Drug Administration approvals later this year, officials said.

Studies Find Encouraging Results

Researchers conducted two studies of telaprevir and found that about 66 percent of patients with hepatitis C showed no signs of the disease after being treated with the drug for six months. Only 40 to 50 percent of patients not treated with telaprevir were hepatitis-free after six months.

“We can now sit down with our patients and tell them that 2 of 3 patients can be cured with a 24-week course of therapy,” said Dr. John McHutchison, a Duke University doctor who led one of the studies.

Side Effects a Concern

While the results showing a faster cure to hepatitis C are encouraging, the side effects of telaprevir remain a primary concern, researchers said.

People in the studies given telaprevir suffered from more severe rash, nausea and anemia compared to those who received standard treatment alone. Twice as many people on telaprevir stopped treatment because of the side effects, researchers said.

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