| |
INCIVEK (telaprevir) Now Available in Canada for People with Hepatitis C
|
| |
| |
Nearly 4 out of 5 people treated for the first time cleared the virus with INCIVEK combination treatment
LAVAL, Quebec--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) announced today that INCIVEK (telaprevir) tablets are now available in Canada for people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C with compensated liver disease (some level of damage to the liver, but the liver still functions), including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). INCIVEK (in-SEE-veck) was approved by Health Canada in August 2011 for use in combination with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin, two other medicines approved to treat hepatitis C, and is indicated for people who are new to treatment, and for all three major groups of people (relapsers, partial responders and null responders) who were treated previously but who did not achieve a sustained viral response (SVR, or viral cure).
INCIVEK will be the first medicine marketed by Vertex in Canada. Vertex has established its Canadian headquarters in Laval, Quebec where the company currently employs approximately 40 scientists focused on drug discovery and development activities. The company is also building medical and commercial teams to support the use of INCIVEK in Canada, and with the launch of INCIVEK, Vertex plans to continue the expansion of its Canadian workforce, both in Laval and in field-based positions throughout Canada.
"INCIVEK represents an important turning point in the treatment of hepatitis C, and we are pleased to bring this new medicine to people in Canada," said Amit K. Sachdev, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Incorporated. "Today marks a significant step in our commitment to improving the treatment of hepatitis C in Canada, and we are working diligently to ensure people who need this medicine are able to get treatment as quickly as possible."
The Canadian approval of INCIVEK was based on data from a global Phase 3 clinical trial program that enrolled more than 2,500 people with hepatitis C, including patients in Canada. In these studies, people who received INCIVEK combination treatment achieved significantly higher rates of viral cure compared to those who received pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone, regardless of their prior treatment experience. With INCIVEK combination therapy, more than 60 percent of people new to treatment and those who relapsed after previous
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
