Based on a review of Phase II data and market dynamics in the hepatitis C arena, Merck & Co. Inc. announced Sept. 29 that it will discontinue a pair of HCV combination therapy development programs, more or less ceding the space to leader Gilead Sciences Inc. and follower AbbVie Inc.
The announcement is the final wave of a reassessment of the HCV market. Earlier this year, Merck took a $2.9bn pre-tax intangible asset impairment charge against 2016 revenues based on its reassessment of the nucleoside polymerase inhibitor MK-3682. (Also see "Merck's Write-Down Of Phase II Nuc Illustrates Current Reality In HCV" - Scrip, 24 February, 2017.) MK-3682, or uprifosbuvir, was the centerpiece of the New Jersey pharma’s $3
