Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
Mercks Experimental Hepatitis C Drug Beats Victrelis
The virus was undetectable in the blood of as many as 92 percent of patients six months after they stopped the 12-week course of treatment with the drug, known as MK-5172, compared with 54 percent of those who received Victrelis, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey-based Merck said in a statement today. The trial included 332 people with the most common form of hepatitis C in the U.S., and all received standard therapy ribavirin in addition to either MK-5172 or Victrelis.
read more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-23/merck-s-experimental-hepatitis-c-drug-beats-victrelis.html
For the OT gang :^)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9d1CvS4diA
The virus was undetectable in the blood of as many as 92 percent of patients six months after they stopped the 12-week course of treatment with the drug, known as MK-5172, compared with 54 percent of those who received Victrelis, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey-based Merck said in a statement today. The trial included 332 people with the most common form of hepatitis C in the U.S., and all received standard therapy ribavirin in addition to either MK-5172 or Victrelis.
read more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-23/merck-s-experimental-hepatitis-c-drug-beats-victrelis.html
For the OT gang :^)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9d1CvS4diA
"...MK-5172 in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin (PR) was evaluated versus VICTRELIS (boceprevir), 200 mg Capsules, in combination with PR in treatment-nave, non-cirrhotic patients with HCV genotype 1"
http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2013/04/easl-merck-to-present-interim-data-on.html
It seems to be with and without for geno 1... I think
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01353911?term=mk-5172&rank=4
There are several MK-5172 studies if you'l notice. The one you originally referenced with MK-5172 & boceprevir includes interferon in every arm.
Here are the two studies side by side for an easy comparison:
1) with Boceprevir: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01353911?term=mk-5172&rank=4
2) Without Boceprevir: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01717326?term=mk-5172&rank=9
They're totally different studies.
HepCat
The non interferon phase II interim results are here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121110005034/en/Interim-Phase-II-Data-Mercks-Investigational-MK-5172
Let's wish them good outcomes!
"The primary efficacy endpoint of the study was to evaluate the complete early viral response (cEVR) of four regimens of MK-5172 in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin (PR) compared to the control arm in which patients received a 4-week lead-in of PR followed by the addition of VICTRELIS (boceprevir) 200 mg Capsules."
Posted wrong link.
Thanks for catching it.
This is the study that would be of interest and I wish them success.
http://clinical-trials.findthedata.org/l/134031/A-Study-of-the-Combination-Regimen-MK-5172-MK-8742-and-Ribavirin-in-Participants-With-Chronic-Hepatitis-C-MK-5172-035