simeprevir

Stockholm, Sweden — Medivir AB (OMX: MVIR) today reports that Janssen Pharmaceutical R&D Ireland (Janssen) has been informed by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) that simeprevir has been approved for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

read all at

http://www.pharmalive.com/japan-approves-simeprevir

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections affect approximately 3 percent of the worldwide population and often lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The standard therapy of pegylated- interferon and ribavirin induces serious side effects and provides viral eradication in less than 50% of patients. Combination therapy of HCV including ribavirin and interferonare currently is the approved therapy for HCV. Unfortunately, such combination therapy also produces side effects and is often poorly tolerated, resulting in major clinical challenges in a significant proportion of patients. Numerous direct acting agents (DAAs) have been or are being developed for treatment of HCV, such as telaprevir and boceprevir (both received MA approved in 2011 for use with interferon and ribavirin based therapy), however direct acting agents are linked to increased toxicity of treatment, the emergence of resistance, and to date do not provide a standard of care which is interferon free. The combination of direct acting agents can also result in drug-drug interactions. To date, no HCV therapy has been approved which is interferon free. There is therefore a need for new combination therapies which have reduced side effects, and interferon free, have a reduced emergence of resistance, reduced treatment periods and/or and enhanced cure rates.

Simeprevir (formerly TMC435) is an experimental drug candidate for the treatment of hepatitis C. It is being developed byMedivir and Johnson & Johnson‘s pharmaceutical division Janssen Pharmaceutica and is currently in Phase III clinical trials.^[1]

Simeprevir is a hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor.^[2]

Simeprevir is being tested in combination regimens with pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin,^[3] and in interferon-free regimens with other direct-acting antiviral agents including daclatasvir^[4] and sofosbuvir ^[5]

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review to the New Drug Application (NDA) for simeprevir (TMC435). Simeprevir is an investigational NS3/4A protease inhibitor taken orally (150 mg capsule) once a day along with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in adult patients with compensated liver disease (meaning the liver is heavily scarred but still functional).

“Hepatitis C is a complex disease and Janssen is committed to working with the HCV community, caregivers, and health care systems to address this global epidemic,” said Gaston Picchio, Hepatitis Disease Area Leader, Janssen Research & Development. “We are pleased that the FDA has granted simeprevir Priority Review, as it is a significant step forward in making this therapy available to physicians and their hepatitis C patients.”

The FDA grants Priority Review to medicines that may offer major advances in care or provide a treatment option where no adequate therapy exists. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, FDA review will begin approximately 60 days after receipt of the application and will aim to be completed within six months from when the review period begins.

The regulatory submission for simeprevir is supported in part by data from three pivotal Phase 3 studies: QUEST-1 and QUEST-2 in treatment-naïve patients and PROMISE in patients who have relapsed after prior interferon-based treatment. Janssen also recently submitted simeprevir for marketing authorization to regulatory authorities in Japan and Europe.

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NS3/4A protease inhibitors

Ciluprevir (BILN 2061) Boehringer Ingelheim

Boceprevir (SCH503034) Merck

Telaprevir (VX-950) Vertex

Danoprevir (RG7227) Roche

simeprevir /TMC435 Tibotec / Medivir

Vaniprevir (MK-7009) Merck

Bl 201335 Boehringer Ingelheim

BMS-650032 Bristol-Myers Squibb

GS-9256 Gilead

ABT-450 Abbott / Enanta

Narlaprevir (SCH900518) Merck

PHX1766 Phenomix

ACH-1625 Achillion

IDX320 Idenix

MK-5172 Merck

VX-985 Vertex Drug name Company

GS-9451 Gilead

Telaprevir

Accordin to http://en.wikipedia.Org/wiki/File:Telaprevir.svg, Teaprevir has the structure

Systematic lUPAC Name: (1 S,3aR,6aS)-2-[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-Cyclohexyl-2-(pyrazine-2- carbonylamino)acetyl]amino]-3,3-dimethylbutanoyl]-/\/-[(3S)-1-(cyclopropylamino)-1 ,2- dioxohexan-3-yl]-3,3a,4,5,6,6a-hexahydro-1/-/-cyclopenta[c]pyrrole-1-carboxamide

Telaprevir may be administered in a unit dose of, for example between about 250 and about l OOOmg, such as about 750mg/kg. Typically once, twice, three or four times daily, such as three times daily for the duration of the pre-treatment period and/or combination treatment period.

Boceprevir

Accordin to http://en.wikipedia.0rg/wiki/File:B0ceprevir.svg, Boceprevir has the structure:

Systematic lUPAC Name: (1 R,2S,5S)-N-[(2≡)-4-amino-1-cyclobutyl-3,4-dioxobutan-2-yl)]- 3-{(2S)-2-[(tert-butylcarbamoyl)amino]-3,3-dimethylbutanoyl}- 6,6-dimethyl-3- azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2-carboxamide

Boceprevir may be administered in a unit dose of, for example between about 250 and about 1000mg, such as about 800mg/kg. Typically once, twice, three or four times daily, such as three times daily for the duration of the pre-treatment period and/or combination treatment period.

Compound 1: miR-122 inhibitor

As reported in Young et al., JACS 2010, 132, 7976-7981) (hereby incorporated by reference), it is possible to assay for small molecule inhibitors of miR122 and small molecule are known, such as those illustrated below:

» {7.02 ± 1.40) If (4. S3 * 0.45)

The numerical values refer to luciferase expression due to miR-122 deprepression, and values greater than 1 indicate miR-122 inhibition.