VERTEX PRESENTS DATA FOR HCV STUDY

Clinical data presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, being held in San Francisco, confirm that VX-950, an investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, was well-tolerated and possessed potent antiviral activity in a 14-day study in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

The rapid decline in plasma HCV-RNA levels observed in HCV patients taking VX-950, together with a viral kinetic analysis that projects the potential duration of treatment required to achieve sustained virologic response, support the evaluation of VX-950 in a novel, three-month combination treatment paradigm. Vertex has filed an investigational new drug application with the FDA to support Phase II clinical development of VX-950.