MSD launches hepatitis C drug Victrelis in UK
MSD (known as Merck in the US and Canada), today launched Victrelis (boceprevir) in the UK. The drug is a new treatment for chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 in adults with compensated liver disease who have yet to undergo treatment or have failed previous therapy.
Victrelis is the first licensed treatment for hepatitis C which is direct acting, targeting the virus itself. The launch follows an accelerated assessment by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), due to its "major public-health need."
In comparison to current therapies, Victrelis works through inhibiting a key viral enzyme, affecting the virus' ability to replicate.
Victrelis is to be used in combination with the current standard treatment to tackle genotype 1 of the virus, the most prominent strand in the UK, affecting 40-50 per cent of patients.
In clinical trials of those who had previously failed treatment, the addition of Victrelis to standard therapy almost tripled the number of patients clearing the virus.
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