Merck Sharpe and Dohme and Roche to promote hepatitis therapy

Merck Sharpe and Dohme is to ally with Roche to promote a new combination therapy regimen for chronic hepatitis C.

Under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement, the companies' respective subsidiaries will be marketing a treatment combining Victrelis with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin (peg/riba) worldwide.

This arrangement is dependent on receiving appropriate regulatory approvals and will also see the companies allying to educate physicians and patients about the disease in global markets, including Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The move builds on the existing relationship between the firms, which has seen them collaborate to explore new therapy options for chronic hepatitis.

Adam Schechter, executive vice-president and president for global human health at Merck Sharpe and Dohme, said: "Reaching physicians with important information about the use of Victrelis in combination with peg/riba is essential as we enter this new era in the field of chronic hepatitis C."

This comes in the same week that the European Commission granted regulatory approval for Victrelis plus peg/riba, based on positive data from clinical studies involving more than 1,500 patients.