Medivir, a research-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, has results from the ASPIRE phase IIb study that evaluates the addition of once daily TMC435 to pegylated interferon and ribavirin in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C whose prior treatment with pegylated-interferon (PegIFN) and ribavirin (RBV) was unsuccessful either because they relapsed, had a partial response or had a null response.

TMC435, a potent, once-daily, oral HCV protease inhibitor is being developed by Tibotec jointly with Medivir. The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind ASPIRE study evaluates the effect of

TMC435 in combination with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin in 462 patients infected with genotype-1 HCV who have failed prior treatment with PegIFN/RBV. The study includes patients that have relapsed, achieved partial response, or achieved no response (null responders) to SoC treatment and where 62 percent (287/462) of patients overall had advanced liver disease, periportal or septal fibrosis or cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) upon study entry (Metavir score F2-F4).

Patients were equally randomized to 1 of 7 different treatment arms: 6 TMC435 treatment arms and one placebo arm. TMC435 was administered once daily at a dose of either 100 mg or 150 mg given for either 12, 24, or 48 weeks in combination with PegIFN/RBV. PegIFN/RBV treatment was continued in all patients until the study completion at week 48. This interim analysis was performed when all patients had completed 48 weeks of treatment or discontinued earlier. The analysis was done based on the intent-to-treat, ITT, population which included all randomized subjects who took at least one dose of the study medication. SVR4, Sustained Virologic Response 4 weeks after planned end of treatment data, was available for 94% and 84% of TMC435 and placebo patients respectively.

All subgroups of treatment-experienced patients who failed previous peginterferon and ribavirin treatment, achieved substantially higher virologic response rates following treatment with TMC435-containing regimen at all doses and durations, compared with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin.