CAMBRIDGE — Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its potential hepatitis C drug met a key goal of curing the hard-to-treat virus in a late-stage study.
The company said 75 percent of patients receiving telaprevir for 12 weeks experienced a sustained response, or viral cure. Hepatitis C is a virus that can cause severe liver damage.
In the study, telaprevir was followed by a combination of pegylated interferon and Ribavirin, which is considered the standard of care. Patients on that telaprevir combination were compared with those receiving only pegylated interferon and Ribavirin. After 48 weeks, 44 percent in that arm of the study experienced a sustained response.
The company expects to ask for Food and Drug Administration approval during the second half of 2010.
