Drug & Device Development

Pharmasset hep C drug shows promise in mid-stage trial

Last Updated: 2011-09-06 19:10:02 -0400 (Reuters Health)

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Pharmasset Inc said its hepatitis C drug showed positive results in a mid-stage trial in patients who have not been previously treated for the infection.

In the mid-stage study, named PROTON, 98% of patients had no detectable virus in the blood 12 weeks after the treatment was completed.

Patients were given either 400 mg or 200 mg doses of the drug, PSI-7977, once daily for 12 weeks in combination with peginterferon alfa 2a and ribavirin, the current standard of care.

Patients will now be monitored to check for virus levels 24 weeks after treatment completion, which is the main goal of the study, the company said in a statement.