FDA warns of liver damage from AbbVie's hepatitis C therapy

23 October 2015

Shares in US drugmaker AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) dropped to close down over 10% following a US Food and Drug Association (FDA) warning the company’s hepatitis C drugs Viekira Pak can lead to serious liver damage for patients with underlying advanced liver disease.

The regulator said that since the approval of Viekira Pak and Technivie, it has received at least 26 reports of adverse events possibly or probably related to the drugs worldwide. The FDA said it has directed AbbVie to include information about serious liver injury adverse events on the product labels.

Viekira Pak combines Viekira (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir) and Exviera (dasabuvir), and Technivie (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir).

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