Merck and Roche extend Victrelis co-promotion deal to Europe
pharmafile | July 22, 2011 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Merck & Co, Roche, Victrelis, hepatitis C
Merck & Co is ramping up efforts to push its new hepatitis C treatment Victrelis to the fore, signing a global promotion deal with Roche which includes Europe, Asia and Latin America.
The companies had already agreed to promote the brand in the US while collaborating on efforts to find new treatment regimens for patients with the chronic form of the disease.
Victrelis (boceprevir), which has this month been given the green light in Europe, will be marketed as part of a triple combination therapy regimen with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin (peg/riba).
These are interesting times in hepatitis C, with two new groundbreaking medicines on the market to treat the condition, which affects up to 300 million people worldwide.
Johnson & Johnson/Vertex’s Incivek (telaprevir) and Victrelis were each launched in the US in May, with both oral protease inhibitors set to improve treatment when added to current standard therapies.
The drugs are both expected to reach blockbuster status – but Incivek has shown a higher cure rate, and a simpler and faster simpler dosing regimen.
This may be one reason why Merck has sought the might of Roche to steal a march on the opposition, although it is in its favour that Victrelis is likely to be less expensive than Incivek.
The UK’s NICE has previously said it will appraise both drugs on their cost and clinical effectiveness.
“Reaching physicians with important information about the use of Victrelis in combination with peg/riba is essential as we enter this new era in the field of chronic hepatitis C,” said Adam Schechter, Merck’s president of global human health.
“We’re pleased to work with Roche to help physicians help patients with chronic hepatitis C around the world,” he added.
Merck and Roche will also work to educate doctors and patients about the hepatitis C virus.
“Improving treatment outcomes for more patients with chronic hepatitis C is our ultimate goal,” said Pascal Soriot, chief operating officer of Roche Pharmaceuticals Division.
“Through this extended collaboration and the education of healthcare professionals, Roche and Merck aim to ensure that appropriate patients can benefit from triple combination therapy,” he concluded.
The European Commission approved Victrelis in combination with peg/riba in adult patients with liver disease who are previously untreated or who have failed previous therapy.
The drug cannot be given as monotherapy and its efficacy has not been studied in patients who have previously failed therapy with a treatment that includes Victrelis or other HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors.
Adam Hill
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