Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) joined the fight against hepatitis C with its most recent clinical study announcement. The company is joining the likes of Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) in producing hepatitis C vaccines, but it is still in the early clinical stages.
The market for hepatitis C is a decent size, and looking at Gilead’s most recent earnings report we can put some numbers to it. Gilead had $4.798 billion in hepatitis C vaccine sales, compared to analysts’ estimates of $4.5 billion.
Merck announced the presentation of results from the initial phase of its C-CREST 1 and 2 Phase 2 clinical development program evaluating two investigational all-oral, triple-combination treatment regimens. These consist of a regimen of grazoprevir, MK-36822 andelbasvir, and a regimen of grazoprevir, MK-3682 and MK-8408 — in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1, 2 or 3 infection.
All 240 enrolled patients completed eight weeks of treatment and reached follow-up 12 weeks after end of treatment.
The most commonly reported adverse events across all regimens with a greater than 10% incidence, were headache (23%), fatigue (20%) and nausea (13%). There were no drug-related serious adverse events and no discontinuations due to adverse events.
Dr. Roy Baynes, senior vice president and head of global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories, commented on the results:
Merck’s chronic hepatitis C development program continues to focus on the goal of advancing a short-duration treatment regimen that offers high virologic cure rates across all viral genotypes. The strong results observed in this study support the further investigation of the novel triple-combination regimen of grazoprevir, MK-3682 and MK-8408 in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
ALSO READ: 7 BioHealth Movers That Cannot Be Ignored
Shares of Merck traded up 0.4% to $53.24 Monday morning, with a consensus analyst price target of $62.41 and a 52-week range of $45.69 to $63.62.
Gilead shares were at $102.68, up 0.1%, with a consensus price target of $125.00 and a 52-week trading range of $85.95 to $123.37.
Take Charge of Your Retirement In Just A Few Minutes (Sponsor)
Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance—and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor.
Here’s how it works:
- Answer a Few Simple Questions. Tell us a bit about your goals and preferences—it only takes a few minutes!
- Get Matched with Vetted Advisors Our smart tool matches you with up to three pre-screened, vetted advisors who serve your area and are held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Click here to begin
- Choose Your Fit Review their profiles, schedule an introductory call (or meet in person), and select the advisor who feel is right for you.
Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of. Click here to get started today!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
