Vertex Pharmaceuticals launches phase 2 trial for oral hepatitis C inhibitor

By Jennifer Chiou

New York, Dec. 5 - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the start of a phase 2 clinical trial for VX-950, its oral hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor.

The study will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacodynamics of VX-950 when combined with pegylated interferon and ribavirin - two approved treatments for hepatitis C infection.

This is the company's first clinical study of VX-950 under an open investigational New Drug Application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"This first phase 2 study for VX-950 will enable Vertex to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacodynamics of VX-950 over 28 days when combined with pegylated interferon and ribavirin," senior vice president of drug evaluation and approval John Alam said in a news release.

"This initial phase 2 trial is anticipated to support the evaluation of VX-950 in a key three-month phase 2 study in more than 200 HCV [hepatitis C virus] patients that we expect to initiate in early 2006."

Based in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on viral diseases, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and cancer.

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