Abbott Laboratories have been developing a trio of new medicines for hepatitis C which can be taken orally. So far, these experimental treatments have been producing some incredible results in their mid-stage clinical trials. In fact, researchers are reporting unprecedented cure rates among study participants who had previously received zero benefits from the standard forms of hepatitis C treatment. Representatives from Abbott Labs were very optimistic for the future of these experimental medicines.
Impressive Results Coming in from the Aviator Study
The research team conducting this hepatitis C clinical trial, officially labeled as Aviator, released some very detailed results earlier in November at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) which was held in Boston.
If you remember, earlier this year, the CDC announced that baby boomers accounted for the greatest number of hepatitis C patients in the country. For anyone who has been diagnosed with this infectious disease, the news coming from this Abbott clinical trial will surely be raising their hopes for a future that is hep C free. These experimental medications (a polymerase inhibitor ABT-333, protease inhibitor called ABT-450, and ABT-267 from a class known as NS5A inhibitors) all share a very significant attribute. They do not possess any interferon, which is an injectable substance that can cause flu-like symptoms in patients.
Abbott Will Soon be Initiating Phase III Clinical Trials
Looking forward, Abbott representatives state that their plan is to initiate larger phase III clinical studies for all three hepatitis C medications as soon as possible. During this next phase of clinical testing, these drugs may be administered in combination with standard antiviral pill ribavirin for some participants. It will all be dependent on the results they are seeing in patients who have already received treatment for eight to twelve weeks over the course of the Aviator study. All of the participants that had been selected for this study had been diagnosed with the Genotype 1 strain of hepatitis C (it is the most common type of hep C and also the most difficult to treat).
Incredibly, scientists had found that 93 percent of their patients presented a sustained virologic response (SVR) following a treatment regimen with these experimental hep C drugs. In other words, people, in whom all previous therapy had failed, were now clinical considered to be cured of their disease. These are particularly astonishing results given that no-one has been able to break the 50 percent mark in cure rates for this type of patient population.
Who will win the Interferon-Free Drug Race?
With some deserved confidence, Abbott now aims to be the first company to effectively develop an interferon-free medication which could be taken by people living with Genotype 1 infections. Of course, the clinical trial was not completely flawless. Lead investigators reported that 4 out of the 448 people enrolled in the study had to discontinue their treatment due to some adverse side effects. However, this still suggests that these drugs can be very well tolerated.
Following the 12 week period allotted for the Aviator study, researchers reported that 97 percent of their patients were considered to be cured of their hepatitis C. In the other group that had taken the three drugs in combination with ribavirin, the team reported similarly impressive cure rates over an 8 week period.
The race is definitely on for developing the most effective interferon-free medications. Another leading drug developer, Gilead Sciences Inc, proudly announced that they were seeing a 100 percent cure rate amongst patients with Genotype 1 hepatitis who had been administered only two of their new oral treatments over the course of 12 weeks (these patients had also undergone unsuccessful therapies for their hepatitis prior to this study).
Heavy Demand for these Hep C Drugs
With an estimated 3 million Americans who could be living with hepatitis C, a little healthy competition could be a good thing. According to the CDC, there are many people who are currently in dire need of effective treatments for this infectious disease, and many don't even realize it yet. Once approved, these interferon-free medications are expected to be serious blockbusters.
Impressive Results Coming in from the Aviator Study
The research team conducting this hepatitis C clinical trial, officially labeled as Aviator, released some very detailed results earlier in November at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) which was held in Boston.
If you remember, earlier this year, the CDC announced that baby boomers accounted for the greatest number of hepatitis C patients in the country. For anyone who has been diagnosed with this infectious disease, the news coming from this Abbott clinical trial will surely be raising their hopes for a future that is hep C free. These experimental medications (a polymerase inhibitor ABT-333, protease inhibitor called ABT-450, and ABT-267 from a class known as NS5A inhibitors) all share a very significant attribute. They do not possess any interferon, which is an injectable substance that can cause flu-like symptoms in patients.
Abbott Will Soon be Initiating Phase III Clinical Trials
Looking forward, Abbott representatives state that their plan is to initiate larger phase III clinical studies for all three hepatitis C medications as soon as possible. During this next phase of clinical testing, these drugs may be administered in combination with standard antiviral pill ribavirin for some participants. It will all be dependent on the results they are seeing in patients who have already received treatment for eight to twelve weeks over the course of the Aviator study. All of the participants that had been selected for this study had been diagnosed with the Genotype 1 strain of hepatitis C (it is the most common type of hep C and also the most difficult to treat).
Incredibly, scientists had found that 93 percent of their patients presented a sustained virologic response (SVR) following a treatment regimen with these experimental hep C drugs. In other words, people, in whom all previous therapy had failed, were now clinical considered to be cured of their disease. These are particularly astonishing results given that no-one has been able to break the 50 percent mark in cure rates for this type of patient population.
Who will win the Interferon-Free Drug Race?
With some deserved confidence, Abbott now aims to be the first company to effectively develop an interferon-free medication which could be taken by people living with Genotype 1 infections. Of course, the clinical trial was not completely flawless. Lead investigators reported that 4 out of the 448 people enrolled in the study had to discontinue their treatment due to some adverse side effects. However, this still suggests that these drugs can be very well tolerated.
Following the 12 week period allotted for the Aviator study, researchers reported that 97 percent of their patients were considered to be cured of their hepatitis C. In the other group that had taken the three drugs in combination with ribavirin, the team reported similarly impressive cure rates over an 8 week period.
The race is definitely on for developing the most effective interferon-free medications. Another leading drug developer, Gilead Sciences Inc, proudly announced that they were seeing a 100 percent cure rate amongst patients with Genotype 1 hepatitis who had been administered only two of their new oral treatments over the course of 12 weeks (these patients had also undergone unsuccessful therapies for their hepatitis prior to this study).
Heavy Demand for these Hep C Drugs
With an estimated 3 million Americans who could be living with hepatitis C, a little healthy competition could be a good thing. According to the CDC, there are many people who are currently in dire need of effective treatments for this infectious disease, and many don't even realize it yet. Once approved, these interferon-free medications are expected to be serious blockbusters.