Boehringer Ingelheim’s faldaprevir shows benefits against drug-resistant hepatitis

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced data from phase III clinical trials showing the benefits its hepatitis C therapy faldaprevir can provide in treating drug-resistant forms of the disease.

Results from recent studies revealed that the second-generation protease inhibitor, when used in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, can be effective even with the presence of common drug-resistant viral variants, such as the NS3 Q80K polymorphism.

In some parts of the world, the Q80K mutation is present in almost 50 percent of genotype-1a infected patients, requiring screening programmes and modified therapy approaches, but Boehringer Ingelheim's drug could circumvent the need for such precautions.

Dr Christoph Sarrazin, professor of medicine at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital in Frankfurt, said: "With faldaprevir's efficacy against HCV Q80K, physicians should be able to avoid screening for this mutation prior to treatment of genotype-1a infected patients."

Faldaprevir was recently granted accelerated assessment status by the European Medicines Agency and could be made available in the second quarter of 2014 if approved.

It has been submitted for approval in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for the treatment of a broad range of patients with genotype-1 hepatitis C, including those with HIV co-infection or advanced liver disease.