SAN FRANCISCO (Thomson Financial) - ViroPharma Inc. said late Wednesday the
company and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals have jointly discontinued the development of
HCV-796 due to a previously announced safety issue that emerged in a Phase II
trial in patients with hepatitis C.
"Clearly, this is a disappointing outcome for patients suffering from this
difficult disease," said Vincent Milano, ViroPharma's president and chief
executive, in a statement. "Significant activities were undertaken to determine
a clear path forward for HCV-796; however, the risk associated with potential
hepatotoxicity ultimately posed too high of a hurdle to merit further
development."
Exton, Pa.-based ViroPharma also said it does not expect to continue to
collaborate with Wyeth on future development of hepatitis C treatment
candidates.
Shares of Viropharma closed at $9.62.
Gabriel Madway
gm
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