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A Drug's Ability To Achieve Sustained Viral Response in Genotype 1-Infected Patients Is the Most Important Driver of Prescribing Decisions for Hepatitis C Virus Treatment

Posted on: Tuesday, 8 April 2008, 09:04 CDT

WALTHAM, Mass., April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that a therapy's effect on sustained virologic response in patients infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus-for both treatment-naive and treatment nonresponder patients-is the attribute that most influences gastroenterologists' prescribing decisions in treating the disease. Clinical data and expert opinion shows that Vertex/Johnson & Johnson's telaprevir and Schering-Plough's boceprevir, used in combination with a long-acting interferon-alpha plus ribavirin (Roche's Copegus, Schering-Plough's Rebetol, generics), have advantages in this attribute over Roche's Pegasys plus ribavirin, the sales leader and current gold standard treatment for the disease.

The new report entitled Hepatitis C Virus: Blockbuster Sales Potential for Protease Inhibitor That Is Effective in Treatment Nonresponders finds that surveyed gastroenterologists and hepatologists indicate that they would prescribe telaprevir or boceprevir, in combination with a long-acting interferon-alpha plus ribavirin, to 50% of their treatment-naive and 75% of their nonresponder patients with hepatitis C virus.

The report also finds that Human Genome Sciences/Novartis's Albuferon plus ribavirin plus telaprevir will become the clinical gold-standard treatment for hepatitis C virus from 2011 to 2016, following the approvals of Albuferon and telaprevir.

"Albuferon provides a dosing advantage over the current pegylated interferons, and the addition of a protease inhibitor to interferon/ribavirin therapy appears to improve efficacy," said John Lebbos, M.D. director at Decision Resources. "Surveyed gastroenterologists and hepatologists' high receptivity to the new protease inhibitors reflects their desire for more effective therapies in patients infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus."

About the Report

Hepatitis C Virus: Blockbuster Sales Potential for Protease Inhibitor That Is Effective in Treatment Nonresponders is a DecisionBase 2008 report from Decision Resources. DecisionBase 2008 combines market forecasts with clinical and commercial end points to assess market share projections in 35 indications. These outputs are driven by quantitative and qualitative primary research. DecisionBase 2008 provides detailed market share, patient share, and price-per-day projections for emerging drugs in development. The market share projections are based on prescriber surveys that compare physicians' expectations of a potential target product profile with an emerging product profile of the leading drugs in development.

The report can be purchased by contacting Decision Resources. Members of the media may request an interview with an analyst.

About Decision Resources

Decision Resources, Inc. (http://www.decisionresources.com/) is a world leader in market research publications, advisory services, and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources, and master their chosen markets. Decision Resources is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.

All company, brand, or product names contained in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information, contact: Elizabeth Marshall Decision Resources, Inc. 781-296-2563 emarshall@dresources.com

Decision Resources, Inc.

CONTACT: Elizabeth Marshall, Decision Resources, Inc., +1-781-296-2563,emarshall@dresources.com

Web site: http://www.decisionresources.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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