HCV Research and News: Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r)

Showing posts with label Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r). Show all posts

April 25, 2015

AbbVie Presents Late-Breaking, Preliminary Phase 3b Data with VIEKIRAX® + EXVIERA® in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients with Renal Impairment at The International Liver Congress™ 2015

- RUBY-I evaluates treatment-naïve, non-cirrhotic, genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C patients with severe renal impairment
- In preliminary data from RUBY-I, patients receiving VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA with or without ribavirin who reached post-treatment week four (n=10 of 20 enrolled) achieved 100 percent sustained virologic response at four weeks post-treatment (SVR4)1
- AbbVie's Phase 3b studies explore VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA in additional patient populations seen in clinical practice and across multiple countries around the world

VIENNA, April 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced new, preliminary safety and efficacy data from the first cohort of its ongoing, Phase 3b RUBY-I study. RUBY-I is evaluating VIEKIRAX® (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir tablets) + EXVIERA® (dasabuvir tablets) with or without ribavirin (RBV) in treatment-naïve, non-cirrhotic, genotype 1 (GT1) chronic hepatitis C patients with severe renal impairment (stage 4 or 5), including those on hemodialysis. The primary endpoint of the study is the percentage of patients achieving sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR₁₂). Patients who reached post-treatment week four to date (n=10 of 20 enrolled) achieved 100 percent SVR₄(n=10/10).¹ RUBY-I was presented as a late-breaker today at The International Liver Congress™ (ILC) 2015, the 50^th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Vienna, Austria.

"Treating hepatitis C patients with severe renal impairment may be a concern, particularly in those patients on hemodialysis," said Paul J. Pockros, M.D., director of Liver Disease Center Scripps Clinic and director of clinical research at Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, California. "With limited data currently available on the safety and efficacy of interferon-free treatments for patients with renal impairment, the preliminary results seen in RUBY-I show promising initial SVR rates with the VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA regimen in a dedicated study for this often difficult-to-treat patient population."

Additionally, RUBY-I data showed no virologic failures to date.¹ Preliminary safety analyses reported that patients experienced mainly mild or moderate adverse events when receiving VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA with or without RBV, most commonly (>20 percent) anemia, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness and headache.¹ To date, eight of 13 genotype 1a (GT1a) patients had a RBV dose interruption.¹

"RUBY-I is part of AbbVie's broader Phase 3b program and demonstrates our continued focus on people living with hepatitis C that have specific needs," said Scott Brun, M.D., vice president, pharmaceutical development, AbbVie. "Studies in our Phase 3b program will help to further expand our knowledge of the utility of VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA in special populations encountered in clinical practice."

Additional Phase 3b studies from AbbVie presented at ILC 2015 included MALACHITE-I and MALACHITE-II data, and the TOPAZ-I and TOPAZ-II study design. The MALACHITE studies evaluate adult patients with GT1 chronic HCV infection without cirrhosis receiving VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA with or without RBV compared to treatment with telaprevir with pegylated-interferon and RBV, which remains the standard of care in many regions of the world.^2,3The TOPAZ studies will evaluate the effect of SVR₁₂ on long-term outcomes, five years following treatment with VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA with or without RBV in adults with GT1 chronic HCV infection.⁴

About RUBY-I Study
RUBY-I is an ongoing, multi-center, open-label Phase 3b study with two cohorts that evaluates the safety and efficacy of 12 or 24 weeks of treatment with VIEKIRAX® + EXVIERA® with or without ribavirin, based on sub-genotype in treatment-naïve, adult patients with genotype 1 (GT1) chronic hepatitis C virus infection who have severe renal impairment (pre-dialysis; stage 4 chronic kidney disease) or end-stage renal disease (on hemodialysis; stage 5 chronic kidney disease) with or without compensated cirrhosis.¹ Cohort 1 consists of 20 patients without cirrhosis and cohort 2 will evaluate approximately 20 patients with or without compensated cirrhosis. Ribavirin was started at 200mg once daily for all genotype 1a (GT1a)- infected patients and dosed four hours prior to the start of GT1a patients on hemodialysis. Additional study results, including cohort 2, will be disclosed at future scientific congresses.

About VIEKIRAX® + EXVIERA®
VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA is approved in the European Union for the treatment of genotype 1 (GT1) chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, including patients with compensated cirrhosis. VIEKIRAX is approved in the European Union for the treatment of genotype 4 (GT4) chronic HCV infection.

VIEKIRAX consists of the fixed-dose combination of paritaprevir 150mg (NS3/4A protease inhibitor) and ritonavir 100mg with ombitasvir 25mg (NS5A inhibitor), dosed once daily, and EXVIERA consists of dasabuvir 250mg (non-nucleoside NS5B polymerase inhibitor) dosed twice daily taken with or without ribavirin (RBV), dosed twice daily based on patient type. VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA is taken for 12 weeks with or without RBV, except in GT1a and GT4 patients with compensated cirrhosis, who should take it for 24 weeks with RBV.

Paritaprevir was discovered during the ongoing collaboration between AbbVie and Enanta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENTA) for hepatitis C protease inhibitors and regimens that include protease inhibitors. Paritaprevir has been developed by AbbVie for use in combination with AbbVie's other investigational medicines for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Additional information about AbbVie's hepatitis C development program can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About AbbVie's HCV Clinical Development Program
The AbbVie HCV clinical development program is intended to advance scientific knowledge and clinical care by investigating interferon-free, all-oral treatments with or without ribavirin with the goal of achieving high sustained virologic response rates in as many patients as possible. AbbVie's global Phase 3b program plans to include more than 2,800 genotype 1 patients in over 200 study centers worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia and Brazil. Data in patients with severe renal impairment, including patients on hemodialysis, will be presented at ILC. Additionally, AbbVie's Phase 3b HCV program includes studies in patients with decompensated and compensated cirrhosis. Data from these studies will be presented at future scientific congresses.

Additional information about AbbVie's hepatitis C development program can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov.

VIEKIRAX® + EXVIERA® EU Indication
VIEKIRAX is indicated in combination with other medicinal products for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in adults. EXVIERA is indicated in combination with other medicinal products for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in adults.

Important EU Safety Information
Contraindications:
VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA are contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C). Patients taking ethinyl estradiol-containing medicinal products must discontinue them and switch to an alternative method of contraception prior to initiating VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA. Do not give VIEKIRAX with certain drugs that are sensitive CYP3A substrates or strong inhibitors of CYP3A. Do not give VIEKIRAX and EXVIERA with strong or moderate enzyme inducers. Do not give EXVIERA with certain drugs that are strong inhibitors of CYP2C8.

Special warnings and precautions for use:
VIEKIRAX and EXVIERA are not recommended as monotherapy and should be used in combination with other medicinal products for the treatment of hepatitis C infection.

Pregnancy and concomitant use with ribavirin
When VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA are used in combination with ribavirin, women of childbearing potential or their male partners must use an effective form of contraception during the treatment and 6 months after the treatment. Refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics for ribavirin for additional information.

ALT elevations
Transient elevations of ALT to >5x ULN without concomitant elevations of bilirubin occurred in clinical trials with VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA and were more frequent in a subgroup who were using ethinyl estradiol-containing contraceptives.

Use with concomitant medicinal products
Use caution when administering VIEKIRAX with fluticasone or other glucocorticoids that are metabolized by CYP3A4. A reduction in colchicine dosage or interruption in colchicine is recommended in patients with normal renal or hepatic function. VIEKIRAX with or without EXVIERA is expected to increase exposure of statins so certain statins need to be discontinued or dosages reduced. Low dose ritonavir, which is part of VIEKIRAX, may select for PI resistance in HIV co-infected patients without ongoing antiretroviral therapy. HIV co-infected patients without suppressive antiretroviral therapy should not be treated with VIEKIRAX.

Adverse Reactions
Most common (>20 percent) adverse reactions for VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA with RBV were fatigue and nausea.

Full summary of product characteristics is available at www.ema.europa.eu

Globally, prescribing information varies; refer to the individual country product label for complete information.

About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world's most complex and serious diseases. AbbVie employs more than 26,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. For further information on the company and its people, portfolio and commitments, please visit www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.

Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," in AbbVie's 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

References:
¹ Pockros P, et al. Safety Of Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir Plus Dasabuvir For Treating HCV GT1 Infection In Patients With Severe Renal Impairment Or End-stage Renal Disease: The RUBY-I Study. Presented at the 50th International Liver Congress (ILC); April 22-26; Vienna, Austria
² Conway B, et al. MALACHITE-I: Phase 3b Trial Of Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/R And Dasabuvir +/-Ribavirin Or Telaprevir + Peginterferon/Ribavirin In Treatment-naïve Adults With HCV Genotype 1. Abstract presented at the 50th International Liver Congress (ILC); April 22-26; Vienna, Austria
³ Dore G, et al. MALACHITE-II: Phase 3b Trial Of Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/R And Dasabuvir + Ribavirin Or Telaprevir + Peginterferon/Ribavirin In Peginterferon/Ribavirin Treatment-experienced Adults With HCV Genotype 1. Abstract presented at the 50th International Liver Congress (ILC); April 22-26; Vienna, Austria
⁴ Dumas E, et al. Phase 3b Studies To Assess Long-term Clinical Outcomes In HCV GT1-infected Patients Treated With Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir And Dasabuvir With Or Without Ribavirin. Abstract presented at the 50th International Liver Congress (ILC); April 22-26; Vienna, Austria.

SOURCE AbbVie

April 24, 2015

U.S. FDA Grants Priority Review to AbbVie for Investigational, All-Oral, Interferon-Free Therapy for the Treatment of Genotype 4 Chronic Hepatitis C

- The New Drug Application (NDA) was accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is based on results from the PEARL-I study, which demonstrated up to 100 percent sustained virologic response rates at 12 weeks post-treatment with no discontinuations due to adverse events
- First all-oral, interferon-free therapy being evaluated by the FDA for patients with chronic genotype 4 (GT4) hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection
- AbbVie's investigational regimen has been previously designated as a breakthrough therapy and received priority review by the FDA

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., April 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) and granted priority review for the company's, all-oral, interferon-free, two direct-acting antiviral treatment of ombitasvir, paritaprevir, ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r), with ribavirin (RBV). The NDA is for the treatment of adults with chronic genotype 4 (GT4) hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

AbbVie's regimen is the first all-oral, interferon-free therapy being evaluated by the FDA for patients in the United States with chronic GT4 HCV infection. This submission affirms the company's commitment to seeking access to curative* therapy for patients living with chronic HCV infection (*curative is defined as when the virus is no longer detectable in the patient's blood 12 weeks after treatment ends; sustained virologic response [SVR₁₂]).

The FDA granted priority review to AbbVie for the regimen based in part on data from the PEARL-I study, which was recently published online in The Lancet. The FDA grants priority review designation to investigational therapies that treat a serious condition and, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness. This designation shortens the regulatory review period for non-new chemical entity NDAs from the normal 10 months to six months. AbbVie's regimen was also granted a Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA on June 30, 2014, a status given to investigational treatments for serious or life-threatening conditions with preliminary clinical evidence that may demonstrate substantial improvement on at least one clinically significant endpoint compared to available therapy.¹

"We are pleased that the FDA has granted priority review for our all-oral, interferon-free treatment for patients with chronic GT4 HCV infection," said Michael Severino, M.D., executive vice president, research and development and chief scientific officer, AbbVie. "Submission of this NDA further underscores AbbVie's commitment to developing therapies to treat a wide range of patients living with chronic HCV infection."

PEARL-I is an open-label, Phase 2b study that demonstrated 100 percent of GT4 patients without cirrhosis who were new to therapy (n=42/42) or who had failed previous treatment with pegylated interferon (pegIFN) and RBV (n=49/49) achieved SVR₁₂ after receiving OBV/PTV/r and RBV for 12 weeks. Additionally, 91 percent of patients who were new to therapy achieved SVR₁₂ (n=40/44) after taking the treatment without RBV.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the United States, 3.2 million people are chronically infected with HCV.² While genotype 1 (GT1) is the most prevalent form of HCV in the U.S., accounting for approximately 73 percent of all cases, GT4 infection accounts for up to 6 percent of HCV infections.^3,4Hepatitis C is inflammation of the liver caused by an infection with HCV.⁵ It is transmitted when an infected person's blood enters the bloodstream of another person.⁶ There are six major HCV genotypes (GT1-6).⁷ Presently, there is no vaccine for HCV infection.²

About the PEARL-I Study

PEARL-I is an open-label, Phase 2b study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 12 weeks of treatment with OBV/PTV/r with and without RBV in non-cirrhotic adult patients with chronic GT4 HCV infection who were new to therapy or had failed previous treatment with pegylated interferon and RBV. Treatment-naïve GT4 patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive OBV/PTV/r with or without RBV. All treatment-experienced GT4 patients received OBV/PTV/r with RBV. In the treatment-naïve group without RBV, on-treatment virologic breakthrough was reported in one patient (2 percent) and two patients (5 percent) experienced post-treatment relapse. There were no virologic failures in the other treatment arms. Patients with GT1b HCV infection were also studied but not included in the efficacy analysis for the NDA submission; the results in patients with GT4 HCV were reported in The Lancet.

There were no discontinuations due to adverse events in PEARL-I. The most commonly reported treatment-emergent adverse events (greater than 15 percent in any group) were headache (29-33 percent), asthenia (weakness) (24-33 percent), fatigue (7-18 percent), nausea (9-17 percent) and insomnia (5-16 percent). One patient had a grade 3 liver function test elevation (aspartate aminotransferase [AST] greater than five times the upper limit of normal), which was asymptomatic and resolved during continued dosing. Four patients with hemoglobin decreases (anemia) required RBV dose reductions; however, none of these patients required blood transfusions or medication to boost their red blood cell production.

About AbbVie's Two Direct-Acting Antiviral HCV Treatment
AbbVie's proposed all-oral antiviral treatment consists of the fixed-dose combination of paritaprevir/ritonavir (150/100mg) co-formulated with ombitasvir (25mg) dosed once daily, co-administered with weight-based ribavirin (1000mg or 1200mg in divided doses, twice daily). The combination of two direct-acting antivirals, each with distinct mechanisms of action, targets and inhibits specific HCV proteins in the viral replication process.

About AbbVie's HCV Clinical Development Program
AbbVie's HCV clinical development program is intended to advance scientific knowledge and clinical care by investigating interferon-free, all-oral treatments with and without ribavirin with the goal of achieving high sustained virologic response rates in as many patients as possible. AbbVie's development programs combining two direct-acting antivirals are studying additional hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes.

Paritaprevir was discovered during the ongoing collaboration between AbbVie and Enanta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENTA) for HCV protease inhibitors and regimens that include protease inhibitors. Paritaprevir is being developed by AbbVie for use in combination with AbbVie's other investigational medicines for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Safety Information
Ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r) and RBV are not approved for the investigational use discussed above, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or efficacy of these products for this use.

There are special safety considerations when prescribing these drugs in approved populations.

OBV/PTV/r must not be used in patients with severe hepatic impairment or with certain medications, which may result in serious and/or life-threatening events or loss of therapeutic effect. OBV/PTV/r can cause increases in certain liver enzyme levels (ALT) and should be monitored during the first four weeks of treatment, and then as clinically indicated thereafter. Female patients should not take ethinyl estradiol-containing medications during treatment with OBV/PTV/r, as they are at greater risk for liver enzyme elevations when taking these medications.

Ritonavir must also not be used in patients with known hypersensitivity to ritonavir or any of its excipients.

Ribavirin monotherapy is not effective for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus and must not be used alone for this use. Ribavirin causes significant teratogenic effects and must not be used in women who are pregnant or breast-feeding and in men whose female partners are pregnant. Ribavirin must not be used in patients with a history of severe pre-existing cardiac disease, severe hepatic dysfunction or decompensated cirrhosis of the liver, autoimmune hepatitis, hemoglobinopathies, or in combination with peginterferon alfa-2a in HIV/HCV co-infected patients with cirrhosis and Child-Pugh score ≥6.

See approved product labels for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, challenges to intellectual property, competition from other products, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, and changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," in AbbVie's 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

¹ U.S. Food and Drug Administration Online. Fact Sheet: Breakthrough Therapies. http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/legislation/federalfooddrugandcosmeticactfdcact/significantamendmentstothefdcact/fdasia/ucm329491.htm. Accessed March 20, 2015.
² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hepatitis C FAQs for health professionals. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/hcvfaq.htm. Accessed March 10, 2015.
³ O'Leary JG, Davis GL. Hepatitis C. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 9th ed, Vol 1. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier. 2010:1313-1335.
⁴ Gower E, Estes C, Blach S, et al. Global epidemiology and genotype distribution of the hepatitis C virus infection. J Hepatology. 2014;61:S45-S57.
⁵ Mayo Clinic. Hepatitis C: Definition. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-c/basics/definition/con-20030618. Accessed November 2013.
⁶ World Health Organization. Hepatitis C Fact Sheet 2014. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/. Accessed April 2014.
⁷ AASLD/IDSA/IAS–USA. Recommendations for testing, managing, and treating hepatitis C. http://www.hcvguidelines.org. Accessed March 9, 2015.

SOURCE AbbVie

For further information: Media: Stefanie Prodouz, +1 (224) 637-0971, stefanie.prodouz@abbvie.com; David Freundel, +1 (847) 937-4522, david.freundel@abbvie.com; Investor Relations: Liz Shea, +1 (847) 935-2211, liz.shea@abbvie.com

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April 23, 2015

Enanta Announces U.S. FDA Grants Priority Review for AbbVie’s Investigational, All-Oral, Interferon-Free Treatment Regimen for Genotype 4 Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

April 23, 2015 08:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTA), a research and development-focused biotechnology company dedicated to creating small molecule drugs for viral infections and liver diseases, announced today that AbbVie has stated that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted AbbVie’s New Drug Application (NDA) and granted priority review for its all-oral, interferon-free, two direct-acting antiviral (2-DAA) treatment regimen consisting of the fixed-dose combination of ombitasvir, paritaprevir, ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r), with ribavirin (RBV) for the treatment of adult patients with chronic genotype 4 (GT4) hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

The FDA grants priority review designation to investigational therapies that treat a serious condition and, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness. AbbVie’s regimen was also granted a Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA on June 30, 2014, a status given to investigational treatments for serious or life-threatening conditions with preliminary clinical evidence that may demonstrate substantial improvement on at least one clinically significant endpoint compared to available therapy.¹

Paritaprevir is Enanta’s lead protease inhibitor identified within the ongoing Enanta-AbbVie collaboration and is one of the two DAAs in AbbVie’s treatment regimen included in the NDA for the treatment of GT4 chronic hepatitis C patients. AbbVie is responsible for all development and commercialization activities for regimens that contain paritaprevir. Paritaprevir is included in AbbVie’s GT1 HCV treatment regimens approved in the U.S. in late 2014 and in the E.U. in early 2015. In addition, Enanta will be eligible to receive annually tiered royalties ranging from the low double digits up to twenty percent, on 45% of AbbVie’s worldwide net sales of any 2-DAA paritaprevir-containing regimen.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the United States, 3.2 million people are chronically infected with HCV.²While genotype 1 (GT1) is the most prevalent form of HCV in the U.S., accounting for approximately 73 percent of all cases, GT4 infection accounts for up to 6 percent of HCV infections in the U.S.^3,4 Hepatitis C is inflammation of the liver caused by an infection with the HCV virus.⁵ It is transmitted when an infected person's blood enters the bloodstream of another person.⁶ There are six major HCV genotypes (GT1-6).⁷ Presently, there is no vaccine for HCV infection.⁴

Protease Inhibitor Collaboration with AbbVie
In December 2006, Enanta and Abbott announced a worldwide agreement to collaborate on the discovery, development and commercialization of HCV NS3 and NS3/4A protease inhibitors and HCV- protease-inhibitor-containing drug combinations. Paritaprevir and ABT-493 are protease inhibitors identified through the collaboration. AbbVie is Abbott’s successor under the agreement and is responsible for all development and commercialization activities for paritaprevir, as well as ABT-493, the collaboration’s next-generation protease inhibitor.

About Enanta
Enanta Pharmaceuticals is a research and development-focused biotechnology company that uses its robust chemistry-driven approach and drug discovery capabilities to create small molecule drugs for viral infections and liver diseases. Enanta is discovering, and in some cases developing, novel inhibitors designed for use against the hepatitis C virus (HCV). These inhibitors include members of the direct–acting-antiviral (DAA) inhibitor classes – protease (partnered with AbbVie), NS5A, and nucleotide polymerase – as well as a host-targeted antiviral (HTA) inhibitor class targeted against cyclophilin. In addition, Enanta has a preclinical program in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, which is a condition that results in liver inflammation and damage caused by a buildup of fat in the liver.

Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including with respect to the prospects for AbbVie’s paritaprevir-containing regimens for patients with GT4 HCV infection. Statements that are not historical facts are based on our management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and our management’s beliefs and assumptions. The statements contained in this release are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important factors that may affect actual results include the efforts of AbbVie (our collaborator on paritaprevir) regarding regulatory approval and commercialization of regimens containing paritaprevir; the level of market acceptance and the pricing and rate of reimbursement for those regimens; the impact of competitive products on the use and sales of those regimens; regulatory actions affecting clinical development of competitive product candidates; and other risk factors described or referred to in “Risk Factors” in Enanta’s most recent Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014 and other periodic reports filed more recently with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Enanta cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this release, and Enanta undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.

² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hepatitis C FAQs for health professionals. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/hcvfaq.htm. Accessed March 10, 2015

³ O’Leary JG, Davis GL. Hepatitis C. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 9th ed, Vol 1. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier. 2010:1313-1335.

⁴ Gower E, Estes C, Blach S, et al. Global epidemiology and genotype distribution of the hepatitis C virus infection. J Hepatology. 2014;61:S45-S57.

⁵ Mayo Clinic. Hepatitis C: Definition. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-c/basics/definition/con-20030618. Accessed November 2013.

⁶ World Health Organization. Hepatitis C Fact Sheet 2014. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/. Accessed April 2014.

⁷ AASLD/IDSA/IAS–USA. Recommendations for testing, managing, and treating hepatitis C. http://www.hcvguidelines.org. Accessed March 9, 2015.

Contacts

Investor
Carol Miceli, 617-607-0710
Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
cmiceli@enanta.com
or
Media
Kari Watson, 781-235-3060
MacDougall Biomedical Communications
kwatson@macbiocom.com

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