Bristol-Myers hepatitis C treatment Daklinza+Sunvepra OKed in Japan

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Daklinza (daclatasvir), a potent, pan-genotypic NS5A replication complex inhibitor (in vitro), and Sunvepra (asunaprevir), a NS3/4A protease inhibitor, providing a new treatment that can lead to cure for many patients in Japan who currently have no treatment options.

Developed by US pharma major Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), the Daklinza+Sunvepra Dual Regimen is Japan’s first all-oral, interferon- and ribavirin-free treatment regimen for patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, including those with compensated cirrhosis.

The launch of interferon-free regimens is expected to boost the hepatitis C market from $2.9 billion in 2013 to a peak of $19.2 billion in 2016,  according to independent analysts Datamonitor Healthcare. Gilead Sciences’ (Nasdaq: GILD) Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) was the first interferon-free regimen approved for GT-2/3 patients, and has already generated sales of some $2.3 billion in its first full quarter (January-march 2014) on the market. In addition, Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE: JNJ) NS3/4A protease inhibitor Olysio (simeprevir) was approved in the USA last year and in Europe in May.