Positive Study On BioChem Pharma's Lamivudine

Canada's BioChem Pharma says results from a 51-patient, six-month treatment, six-month follow-up Phase II study of lamivudine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection showed that the compound markedly reduced disease markers.

The results were presented at the 30th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver, held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Investigators reported that lamivudine markedly reduced HBV DNA, HBeAG and ALT at levels in all three dosage groups tested. In addition, they said that lamivudine, in doses ranging from 25-300mg given orally, once-daily, was well-tolerated. The drug is being developed jointly with Glaxo Wellcome (Marketletter August 14).

All of the 51 patients enrolled had previously taken part in single-blind, randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging one-month lamivudine treatment studies with a two-month follow-up.