InterMune Provides Update on Applied Research Programs in Hepatitis C At Cytokine Meeting
Monday March 31, 9:01 am ET
Infergen and Actimmune Combination Produces Synergistic Antiviral Effects In Preclinical Models of Hepatitis C
SAN DIEGO and BRISBANE, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN - News) today announced that Lawrence Blatt, Ph.D., InterMune's Vice President of Biopharmacology Research and Researcher at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., presented a review of the Company's recent research on the antiviral effects of its novel interferons, Infergen® (interferon alfacon-1) and Actimmune® (interferon-gamma 1b), at the Cytokines and Beyond conference in San Diego. Dr. Blatt is a distinguished researcher in the field of hepatology, credited with leading the development of consensus interferon.
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The highlight of Dr. Blatt's presentation was the important finding of synergistic antiviral effects of combination use of Infergen and interferon gamma-1b in cell-based models of hepatitis C virus (HCV).
"The fact that combination use of Infergen and interferon gamma-1b produced synergistic antiviral effects (i.e., significantly more potent than additive effect of the drugs) in cell-based models of HCV is extremely exciting," said Dr. Blatt. "We look forward to further studying the combination of these two interferons to determine whether better antiviral effects in patients with this difficult-to-treat disease are possible and because this could lead to a new treatment paradigm for hepatitis C. InterMune is continuing our innovative leadership in bio-optimizing and improving upon our interferon therapies through our applied research programs in an effort to design our future clinical research programs."
Dr. Blatt presented results of several recent cell-based studies on the combination of Infergen and interferon gamma-1b that utilized model systems for HCV. Co-administration of interferon gamma-1b and Infergen significantly reduced the concentration of HCV replicons by up to 100-fold, delivering significantly higher potency than either drug alone.
"This applied research program ideally represents InterMune's core strategy to expand the uses of and indications for our approved products, such as Infergen and Actimmune," said Scott Harkonen, InterMune's President and CEO. "These encouraging data support further research of this combination for the treatment of hepatitis C infection. InterMune is now among the companies at the forefront of research and development in hepatitis C and liver diseases. We are very excited about the multiple opportunities we have in our pipeline, which include our marketed product Infergen, our PEG-Infergen (pegylated interferon alfacon-1) in Phase I clinical trials for HCV, and several other earlier-stage applied research and development programs."
About Infergen for Hepatitis C
Infergen is a bioengineered type I interferon alpha indicated for treatment of adult patients with chronic hepatitis C infections. Infergen is the only interferon alpha with data in the label regarding use in patients following relapse or non-response to treatment with certain previous treatments. Physicians and patients can obtain additional information about Infergen, including the product's safety profile by visiting infergen.com , including the black box warning for all the interferon alphas.
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus found in the blood of infected individuals. It is the most common form of hepatitis infection in North America and Europe. According to the National Center for Infectious Diseases, an estimated 3.9 million (1.8%) Americans have been infected by hepatitis C virus, and 2.7 million of these patients are chronically infected. If not detected and treated, hepatitis C may lead to chronic liver disease, including liver cancer, and ranks second to alcoholism as a cause of cirrhosis. Hepatitis C causes an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 deaths annually in the United States.
About Interferon gamma-1b
Interferon gamma is a naturally occurring protein that stimulates the immune system. InterMune markets interferon gamma-1b for the treatment of two life-threatening congenital diseases: chronic granulomatous disease and severe, malignant osteopetrosis. InterMune is also conducting a Phase III study of interferon gamma-1b in ovarian cancer and a Phase II study of interferon gamma-1b for the treatment of severe liver fibrosis, or cirrhosis, caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). Physicians and patients can obtain additional information about interferon gamma 1-b, including the product's safety profile, by visiting actimmune.com .
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