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The Search for Improved Treatments for Chronic Hepatitis C
 

 

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By Ronald Baker, PhD

Despite the improvement in hepatitis C therapy offered by the pegylated interferons Pegasys
and PegIntron, more than half of individuals with chronic hepatitis C do not achieve a sustained
response from these treatments, which also are relatively expensive and may produce
serious or even life-threatening adverse events.

In addition, certain patient groups experience consistently inferior virological responses to
combination treatment with interferon and ribavirin, including African Americans, persons
with genotypes 1 and 4 and HIV-HCV coinfected individuals.

There is a pressing need for the development of new therapies to address these and other
shortcomings of the currently available treatments. As a result, studies of various experimental
therapies representing a variety of approaches are moving forward in the research pipeline.

The table below provides a snapshot of the new anti-HCV therapies now in clinical development
in the US.

 

New Anti-HCV Therapies in Development

Drug Category

Description

Drug Name and Drug Sponsor

FDA Status

Interferons Fusion protein Interferon alfa-albumin Albuferon
(Human Genome Sciences)
Phase II
Purified multi-subtype human IFN alfa Multiferon
(Viragen)
Phase II
Pegylated alfacon-1 Peg-alfacon
(InterMune)
Phase 1
Interferon omega Omega interferon
(Biomedicines)
Phase I
Medusa interferon Medusa Interferon
(Flamel Technologies)
Phase II
Interferon beta-1a Rebif
(Ares Serono)
Phase III
Oral interferon alfa Oral interferon alfa
(Amarillo Biosciences)
Phase I
Ribavirin Alternatives Amidine prodrug of ribavirin
(nucleoside analogue)
Viramidine
(Valeant Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 3
IMPDH inhibitors Merimepodib [VX-497]
(Vertex Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 2
Mycophenolic acid Mycophenolic acid
(Roche Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 1
Antiviral Amantadine
(Endo Labs, etc)
Phase 3
Immunomodulators Augmented T-cell function Thymosin alfa-1 [Zadaxin]
(Sci-Clone)
Phase 3
Enhanced IFN activation of T and natural killer cells Histamine dihydrochloride (Ceplene)
(Maxim Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 2
Therapeutic vaccine
(viral E1 protein of HCV)
E1 vaccine
(Innogenetics)
Phase 2
Therapeutic vaccine IC-41
(Intercell)
Phase 2
Vaccine HCV-MF59
(Chiron)
Phase 1
Inhibitors of Viral Enzymes synthetic oligonucleotide and selective TLR9 agonist Actilon
(Coley)
Phase 1/2
NS3 serine protease inhibitor BILN-2061
(Boehringer Ingelheim)
Phase 2
(on hold)
Serine protease inhibitor Sch-6
(Schering-Plough)
Phase 1
NS3-4A protease inhibitor VX-950
(Vertex Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 2
RdRp inhibitor Valopicitabine [NM-283]
(Idenix Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 1/2
Polymerase inhibitor JDK-003
(Akros Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 1
Polymerase inhibitor HCV-896
(ViriPharma)
Phase 1
Antifibrotics Antisense oligonucleotide ISIS-14803
(Isis Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 2
Anti-tumor necrosis factor α (FDA-approved for treatment of arthritis) Enbrel
(Wyeth-Ayerst)
Phase 1
Oral phospholipid antifibrotics IP-501
(Indevus Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 3
Others Caspase inhibitors ID-6556
(Idun Pharmaceuticals)
Phase 2
Anti-CD20 mononclonal antibody Rituximab
(Genentech)
Phase 1/2
Monoclonal antibody XLT-6865
(XTL)
Phase 1/2
Prodrug of isatoribine ANA-971
(Anadys)
Phase 1
Prodrug of isatoribine ANA-245
(Anadys)
Phase 1/2
Anti-phospholipid Tarvacin
(Peregrine)
Phase 1



  7/01/05
 

New Experimental Therapies for Chronic Hepatitis C
VX-950
Valopicitabine (NM283)
CPG 10101 (Actilon)
 
Angiotensin Receptor Blockade
Pegylated Form of Consensus IFN (PEG-alfacon)
Viramidine

 

Centerwatch: Clinical Trials Listing Service

HALT-C Trial (US Trials for non-responders with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis)

SC Liver Research Consortium (San Diego, CA)

 

 

 

 
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Reviewed Aug 2 2005