Roche And Gilead In Hep C Copromotion

Hoffmann-La Roche, the US arm of Swiss group Roche, and US company Gilead Sciences are to copromote Roche's Roferon-A (recombinant interferon alfa-2a) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection in the USA. Roche is currently marketing the product in the USA for the treatment of several types of cancer and is awaiting marketing clearance for its use in the treatment of hepatitis C.

If approved for this indication, Roche will pay Gilead a percentage of overall product net sales for the hepatitis C indication in each of the three years of the collaboration. Also, Roche will provide Gilead with a residual payment after completion of the copromotion arrangement.

Gilead Sciences will promote and market Roferon-A through its antiviral specialty sales force to hepatitis-treating physicians. "By working with Roche...we have the potential to build upon our antiviral presence in a therapeutic area of strategic importance to Gilead," said John Martin, president and chief executive of Gilead.