SciClone Receives Second Key U.S. Patent for Use of ZADAXIN(R) To Treat Hepatitis C
SAN MATEO, Calif., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SCLN - news), today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for the Company's second U.S. patent covering the use of its lead drug, ZADAXIN, to
treat hepatitis C. ZADAXIN boosts the immune system in the fight against hepatitis B, hepatitis C and cancer.
In the U.S., about 4 million people have been infected with the hepatitis C virus. According to the American Liver Foundation (ALF), 12,000 Americans die from complications of hepatitis C each year. The ALF estimates that next year more Americans will die from hepatitis C than HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. There may be as many as 150,000 new cases of hepatitis C in the U.S. each year.
Interferon, the only established therapy worldwide to treat hepatitis C, leads to a sustained response in only 5% to 20% of patients. A recently approved combination therapy, interferon plus ribavirin,
increases the efficacy of interferon in certain patients. However, ribavirin, by adding its own side effects and toxicities to those of interferon, can increase the risk of side effects and toxicities,
including birth defects, when combined with interferon. SciClone is developing ZADAXIN in combination with interferon for treatment of hepatitis C. In late-stage studies, the combination of ZADAXIN plus interferon demonstrated clinical importance for treatment of hepatitis C without increasing the risk of additive side effects or toxicities.
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