Merck’s triple-therapy hepatitis C regimen shows sub-optimal efficacy

US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) has admitted that interim data from its triple-therapy regimen in hepatitis C has shown sub-optimal efficacy.

The data from the C-SWIFT study explored the potential of a candidate triple-therapy regimen consisting of the fixed-dose combination of grazoprevir/elbasvir (MK-5172/MK-8742, MK-5172A), in combination with sofosbuvir, Gilead Sciences' blockbuster nucleotide (NS5B) inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, Sovaldi. To date, the investigational triple therapy has shown response rates (sustained virologic response [SVR] at 4/8 weeks following therapy) ranging from 80% to 94.7% in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients following six and eight weeks of treatment in this study. The four-week regimen resulted in sub-optimal efficacy.

Preliminary findings in treatment-naïve HCV genotype 1-(GT1) infected non-cirrhotic patients, following six and four weeks of treatment, and patients with cirrhotic disease, following eight and six weeks of treatment, will be presented at the 65th American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting.