Corporate Magazine 2012 - Boehringer Ingelheim

esearch & developmentperspectives for medical innovationSTAGES OF LIVER DISEASESEnduring inflammation of the liver by hepatitis C can lead toliver fibrosis. The next stage of the disease can be liver cirrhosis.Hepatitis C is also the main cause of liver cancer.healthyliverliverfibrosislivercirrhosislivercancerThe study programme is in progress atmore than 350 sites in 15 countries andincludes more than 2,000 patients. Thestudy programme evaluates sustainedviral response (SVR) as the primaryclinical endpoint, which is consideredto be the viral cure. Results from thephase III studies are expected in thefirst half of 2013.SOUND-C2 trialSOUND-C2 is an open-label, randomised,phase IIb study that enrolled362 treatment-naïve HCV genotype 1patients into one of five treatment arms.The study evaluated the safety and efficacyof the interferon-free polymodaltherapy of faldaprevir and BI 207127,with and without ribavirin.BI 207127 – A potent polymeraseinhibitorBI 207127 is an investigational nonnucleosideNS5B RNA-dependentpolymerase inhibitor that has the potentialto eliminate interferon fromHCV treatment when combined withfaldaprevir and ribavirin/RBV.BI 207127 works by blocking a specificstep in the viral lifecycle, targeting a siteof this polymerase enzyme and consequentlypreventing HCV from replicating.Phase II trials of this interferonsparingregimen (SOUND-C2) havebeen completed and phase III HCVersotrials investigating this regimen havebeen initiated.Final data from this trial in phase IIb(SOUND-C2) show high viral cure ratesin genotype 1 patients. When looking atall patients collectively, including themost challenging to cure, a viral curewas achieved for 70%.NEWSHOMEOur website is the one-stop shopfor clear, concise and easy tounderstand information abouthepatitis C.www.NewsHome.comHigh disease burden of hepatitis C53