
“Japan has a unique hepatitis C patient population, many of whom are older and have been unable to take, or respond to, traditional therapies, so we have a real sense of urgency to treat these patients now,” said a lead study investigator Kazuaki Chayama of Hiroshima University in Japan. “The approval of the Daklinza + Sunvepra Dual Regimen offers for the first time a treatment option that addresses many of the unmet needs for our HCV patients.”
Of the 1.2 million people living with HCV in Japan, approximately 70% have genotype 1b. Further, a significant number of patients with HCV in Japan are over the age of 65, leading to more disease-related complications and a decreased likelihood of tolerating interferon-based therapies, the historical standard of care for treating HCV.
“The approval of Daklinza + Sunvepra in Japan reflects our strategic focus on developing a treatment option that meets the needs of the Japanese HCV patient population,” said Lamberto Andreotti, chief executive officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “This milestone underscores the company’s commitment to delivering innovative medicines to patients with the highest unmet needs, and we believe Daklinza-based regimens will play a significant role in the evolution of HCV treatment for patients in Japan, and globally.”
Date: July 7, 2014
Source: Bristol-Myers Squibb