BMS exits future hepatitis C research

[HectorSF]

BMS exits hep C, diabetes and neuroscience research
Will discontinue 'broad-based discovery work' in the therapy areas
“BMS will also halt such discovery work in hepatitis C and diabetes, but will keep supporting existing or late-stage candidates in two therapy areas.

Meanwhile, the plans will see BMS “executing development, regulatory and commercial plans” in diabetes and hepatitis C, while it focuses more wholeheartedly on HIV, hepatitis B, heart failure, oncology, immunoscience and fibrotic disease research.”

BMS products include Daclatasvir, an NS5A replication complex inhibitor, Asunaprevir, an NS3 protease inhibitor and Lambda to replace alpha interferon.

Looks like BMS fell behind in the race. Vertex is faltering but Gilead and J&J are preparing to take over the market.

Hector

[Willy50]

I have been under the impression that they have been investigating the means to speed or increase fibrotic regression.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19413460

Included in this article is a lot of info on that issue;

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.ca/search?q=fibrosis+drugs

[rexx73]

would one see a decompensated cirrhosis in ultrasound?
I had recently an us and everything looked normal.

[HectorSF]

The liver is the only human internal organ capable of natural regeneration of lost tissue. The liver repairs fibrosis (the amount of collagen increase and the ratio of fibro-connective tissue) itself over time once the source of inflammation is eliminated (HCV SVR). There is no need for a drug to do it. Besides a liver with only fibrosis is a fully normally functioning liver. Once a patient becomes SVR the liver repairs itself and the stage of fibrosis (S1-S3) gets less over time.

It is only when a patient has decompensated cirrhosis that the liver is no longer able to perform all of its functions and the liver can not heal itself even if the source of inflammation is eliminated. At the cirrhosis stage, the liver's fundamental structure is deformed, pseudo-lobule formation occurs and the framework of the liver begins to collapse. This is when a liver transplant is needed to prevent total failure of the liver and death.

Hector

[rexx73]

.......I'd rather that they put their research and resources into reducing fibrosis in SVR'd patients, for instance.

oh yes that would be absolutely my favor too.

[Willy50]

Looking at this in a silver linings kind of way......

I think this is the first of perhaps other moves away from future expansion into improving a HCV cure.

The reason is that there is only "so much pie".

There are enough decent treatments with darned close to 100% cure rates that our numbers will have diminished dramatically in....lets call it 5 years.

BMS is not giving up, they are acknowledging that by the time they investigate a new compound and bring it through trials, there will not likely be sufficient infected numbers to make the payoff of investment worth it.

Keep in mind that at some point we may see best of class compounds combined. I see 6 week treatments for G-1's in our future w/ no/negligible sides at some point.

I just don't think that the major players will spend a large chuck of money to bring in a treatment that can only shorten the TX by a few weeks.

Diminishing returns- not necessarily bad news for us.
I'd rather that they put their research and resources into reducing fibrosis in SVR'd patients, for instance.

~W

[Dee1956]

Hey there!  Thanks for sharing ...Swimmer is right, get that liver.

You are amazing! As sick as you are and still posting.  You must be a man on fire when not sick

Thinking of you praying for you. Dee

[1swimmer]

Not that I will buy stock, I did out of curiosity, put Gilead on my stock watch.

Something else on my watch list, is you Hector. Get that liver!

Cheers,
C

[dontworry_behappy1]

"Looks like BMS fell behind in the race.  Vertex is faltering but Gilead and J&J  are preparing to take over the market"
________________________

Sounds like Golden Gate Fields : )