Global healthcare company Merck has entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb to conduct a phase II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a once-daily oral combination regimen consisting of BMS’s investigational NS5A replication complex inhibitor, daclatasvir, and Merck's investigational NS3/4A protease inhibitor, MK-5172, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, genotype 1.

The planned initiation of the phase II clinical trial follows the completion of a phase I safety evaluation of the investigational combination regimen. Merck will conduct the phase II clinical trial. Further clinical development activities beyond the phase II study are not covered as part of this agreement.

"In HCV, agreements like this that combine novel investigational candidates are important to evaluate the potential of novel oral regimens early in the development cycle," said Eliav Barr M.D., vice president, infectious diseases, project leadership and management, Merck Research Laboratories. "We are pleased to collaborate with Bristol-Myers Squibbto advance this potential all-oral combination."

Additional details of the collaboration were not disclosed.