BOSTON – Change was in the air at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting here Nov. 11-15 and not just because of the recent US election results. The shifting drug development focus in liver diseases from the hepatitis C virus (HCV) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is palpable, with market-leader Gilead Sciences Inc. recently stating that its latest Phase III, three-drug combination regimen probably signals the end of its R&D work in HCV.
Nearing Finish Line, HCV Race Focuses On Salvage Therapy
With few remaining unmet needs in hepatitis C, Gilead, Merck and AbbVie are focusing on tough-to-treat niches with their next-gen combination regimens, especially treatment-experienced patients who failed on prior direct-acting antiviral therapy. Merck also is studying injectable drug users in an effort to eradicate HCV entirely.
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