Ribavirin News and Research

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Ribavirin, also known as Copegus, Rebetol, Virazole, or a component of Rebetron, is a type of antiviral medicine called a nucleoside analogue. This medicine blocks the ability of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) to make more copies of itself. Ribavirin is not active against HIV. Ribavirin is used in combination with interferon alfa-2a or -2b or peginterferon alfa-2a or -2b to treat HIV infected patients who are also infected with HCV.

Added benefit of daclatasvir drug not proven for chronic hepatitis C infection

The drug daclatasvir (trade name Daklinza) has been available since August 2014 for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care examined in a dossier assessment whether this new drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy.

11 Dec 2014

Study: Simeprevir-based therapy proves effective in treating chronic HCV infection

Researchers at Penn Medicine, in collaboration with a multi-center international team, have shown that a protease inhibitor, simeprevir, a once a day pill, along with interferon and ribavirin has proven as effective in treating chronic Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) as telaprevir with interferon and ribavirin, the standard of care in developing countries.

10 Dec 2014

Mylan gets tentative approval from FDA for two pediatric dosages of abacavir/lamivudine tablets

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Laboratories Limited has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its New Drug Applications (NDAs) for two dosages of abacavir/lamivudine tablets for oral suspension for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in pediatric patients.

4 Dec 2014

New treatment regimen for hepatitis C in transplant patients produces promising results

A new treatment regimen for hepatitis C, the most common cause of liver cancer and transplantation, has produced results that will transform treatment protocols for transplant patients, according to research published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

12 Nov 2014

Two new oral medications post-transplant is safe, beneficial for patients with hepatitis C

All patients with hepatitis C who receive a liver transplant will eventually infect their new livers. These transplanted organs then require anti-viral treatment before they become severely damaged. But traditional post-transplant hepatitis C therapy can take up to a year, is potentially toxic and can lead to organ rejection.

11 Nov 2014

FDA approves new hepatitis C drug, Harvoni

Insurers and patients are decrying the cost for the new drug, nearly $95,000 for a 12-week course of treatment, which is more expensive than Gilead's other hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi. But unlike some hepatitis C treatments, Harvoni can be taken without injections usually given to hepatitis C patients.

14 Oct 2014

SLU pediatric researcher to study efficacy of new hepatitis C drug treatment in children

After the success of a new drug treatment in adults with hepatitis C infection, a Saint Louis University pediatric researcher is testing the safety and efficacy of the medications in children.

21 Sep 2014

Gilead to boost price of new hepatitis c drug

Gilead Sciences says its next generation drug to combat hepatitis C, slated to launch next month, will be more expensive than $1,000-a-pill Sovaldi, in part because the new treatment will be shorter and simpler. Gilead also struck a deal with Indian generic drugmakers to sell lower-cost versions of Sovaldi in poor countries.

From Baxter International Inc. 16 Sep 2014

Researchers examine whether new drug offers added benefit for patients with chronic HCV

The drug simeprevir has been available since May 2014 for the treatment of adult patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.

9 Sep 2014

Bristol-Myers Squibb launches Daklinza in the UK for treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Bristol-Myers Squibb today announced the launch of Daklinza▼ (daclatasvir) in the UK, a new medicine for the treatment of adult patients with chronic hepatitis C. Daclatasvir, a treatment that works across multiple hepatitis C genotypes, will allow up to 90% of UK patients the option of a potentially curative oral treatment regimen that does not include interferon, a standard of care commonly associated with sustained flu-like side effects.

4 Sep 2014

FDA approves ViiV Healthcare's Triumeq tablets for treatment of HIV-1 infection

ViiV Healthcare announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Triumeq (abacavir 600mg, dolutegravir 50mg and lamivudine 300mg) tablets for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.

23 Aug 2014

New pill-only antiviral drug regimens could cure hardest-to-treat hepatitis C

Two new pill-only antiviral drug regimens could provide shorter, more effective treatment options with fewer side effects for the majority of patients infected with hepatitis C, even those most difficult to treat, according to the results of two studies published in The Lancet.

29 Jul 2014

New study in recognition of World Hepatitis Day released on Life Sciences Connect

The Intellectual Property and Science business of Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today released a new study in recognition of World Hepatitis Day on Life Sciences Connect, a blog exploring the latest news and trends in Life Sciences and updates on the drug pipeline identifying multiple treatments in development that may serve as potential alternatives to Gilead's Sovaldi, currently priced in the United States at $84,000 for 12 weeks of treatment - $1000 per pill.

28 Jul 2014

Trinidad & Tobago Ministry of Health approves hepatitis C drug telaprevir

The Chemistry, Food & Drugs Division of the Trinidad & Tobago Ministry of Health approved the introduction of Telaprevir to the market, an innovative therapy that significantly increases the cure rate from Hepatitis C, and it is indicated for patients infected with the genotype 1 virus. Telaprevir is available in Trinidad under the trade brand INCIVO®.

26 Jul 2014

Drug industry news: FDA again offers warning about a Dallas compounding pharmacy; more on Sovaldi

For the third time in 15 months, the FDA is warning health care providers and consumers not to use drugs that were made by a Dallas compounder because the medicines may be contaminated. And the ongoing struggle between the agency and NuVision Pharmacy underscores the difficulties that beset the pharmaceutical supply chain despite a recently passed law designed to bolster safety (Silverman, 7/21).

23 Jul 2014

Combination drug therapy cures chronic hepatitis C in co-infected HIV patients

A multicenter team of researchers report that in a phase III clinical trial, a combination drug therapy cures chronic hepatitis C in the majority of patients co-infected with both HIV and hepatitis C.

21 Jul 2014

Merck enters into definitive agreement with Idenix

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Merck will acquire Idenix for $24.50 per share in cash.

9 Jun 2014

Biomedical scientists explore mechanisms of novel treatments for HCV

As new treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are approved, biomedical scientists are exploring their mechanisms and what they reveal about the virus.

29 May 2014

OLYSIO (simeprevir) receives EC marketing authorisation for treatment of genotype 1 and 4 CHC

Janssen-Cilag International NV today announced that its next generation protease inhibitor (PI) OLYSIOTM (simeprevir) has been granted marketing authorisation by the European Commission (EC) for the treatment of adults with genotype 1 and 4 chronic hepatitis C (CHC), in combination with other medicinal products.

16 May 2014

Janssen submits sNDA to FDA for simeprevir in combination with sofosbuvir for treatment of HCV genotype 1 infection

Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen) today announced it has submitted a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for simeprevir, an NS3/4A protease inhibitor marketed as OLYSIO™ in the United States, in combination with the nucleotide analog NS5B polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc.

8 May 2014