S-P completes enrollment in first stage of Ph II trial of HCV drug

US drug major Schering-Plough has completed patient enrollment in the first part of its ongoing Phase II clinical study to determine the appropriate dose range of its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, SCH 503034. The agent is being evaluated in combination with S-P's PEG-Intron (pegylated interferon alfa-2a) for the treatment of patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1 who were non-responsive to peginterferon and ribavirin combination therapy. S-P noted that, if all the planned treatment arms are recruited, this will be the largest study to date with any HCV protease inhibitor.