Pharmasset & Tibotec to Conduct Combination Study in Chronic HCV

The companies will test Pharmasset's PSI-7977, a nucleotide polymerase inhibitor, along with TMC435, Tibotec’s protease inhibitor.

Pharmasset and Tibotec Pharmaceuticals have signed an agreement to conduct a Phase II study combining their candidates for the treatment of chronic HCV.

The companies will test Pharmasset's PSI-7977, a nucleotide polymerase inhibitor, along with TMC435, Tibotec’s protease inhibitor.

The Phase II trial will evaluate the potential to achieve sustained virologic response 12 weeks post treatment with an all oral, once-daily, interferon-free treatment regimen.  Specifically, the study will assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of 12 and 24 weeks of PSI-7977 in combination with TMC435 with and without ribavirin in patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1 who had a prior null response to peginterferon alfa and ribavirin treat