Vertex announces modification of telaprevir and VX-222 combination Phase 2 trial for treatment of HCV

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced a modification of its Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating 12-week, response-guided regimens of its lead investigational hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, telaprevir, in combination with its lead investigational HCV polymerase inhibitor, VX-222. The company has discontinued the second two-drug treatment arm of telaprevir and VX-222 alone as a result of meeting a pre-defined stopping rule related to viral breakthrough. This two-drug arm was designed to evaluate a 12-week combination regimen of VX-222 (400 mg) and telaprevir (1,125 mg) dosed twice daily without pegylated-interferon and ribavirin. The first two-drug arm was discontinued in October 2010 and was designed to evaluate a 12-week combination regimen of VX-222 (100 mg) and telaprevir (1,125 mg).

“This trial has provided important information regarding telaprevir and VX-222-based combination regimens, and three of the five treatment arms are proceeding as planned”

The study will continue as planned with three treatment arms. Two of the treatment arms are fully enrolled and are evaluating four-drug combinations of telaprevir (1,125 mg), VX-222 (400 mg or 100 mg), Pegasys^® (pegylated-interferon alfa-2a) and Copegus^® (ribavirin). The last patient was randomized and began treatment with a four-drug regimen in November 2010. There are patients in the four-drug treatment arms who have recently started treatment and have not yet reached week 8 of therapy. More than half of patients in the treatment arms have received eight weeks or more of treatment and approximately one third of patients are in weeks 10 through 12 of treatment. Some patients in this study have completed therapy. Interim data from both of the four-drug treatment arms are expected in the first quarter of 2011. In November 2010, Vertex announced the planned addition of a new three-drug treatment arm designed to evaluate the potential of an all-oral, interferon-free regimen of telaprevir (1,125 mg), VX-222 (400 mg) and ribavirin dosed twice daily. Enrollment in this new treatment arm is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2011.

"This trial has provided important information regarding telaprevir and VX-222-based combination regimens, and three of the five treatment arms are proceeding as planned," said Robert Kauffman, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Vertex. "We are pleased with the progress of both four-drug treatment arms and look forward to the first quarter of 2011 when on-treatment data from these arms will become available and enrollment in the three-drug treatment arm is expected to begin."

SOURCE Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated