Intron A Plus Ribavirin Improve HCV Outcome

The combination of interferon alfa-2b (Schering-Plough's Intron A) andICN Pharmaceuticals' oral formulation of ribavirin results in a 10-fold increase in the number of patients showing eradication of detectable hepatitis C virus in patients who have relapsed after prior IFN-alfa treatment. This was the top-line message from two Phase III studies which will be reported at the American Association of Liver Diseases meeting in Chicago, USA, on November 10.

Schering-Plough, which has marketing rights to ribavirin in all major world markets, said it now hopes to file for approval of the combination in the USA before year-end and in Europe in early 1998. The companies share marketing rights in the European Union. Both firms saw their share price rise on the day of the announcement (September 22), and ICN was the most traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange, jumping 20% to $49.81. The stock had dropped back to $45.88 as the Marketletter went to press.