Hepatitis drug wins award for cure rate and efficacy

Hepatitis C drug Ganovo won a top clinical research award due to its successful performance in a phase 3 trial.

The prestigious industry award was granted at the 15th Infectious Disease National Congress of the Chinese Medical Association.

It is the largest and most influential academic conference in China and attracted more than 2,000 experts and doctors.

The paper in question was one of 577 conference papers submitted this year and won the highest scientific merit: ‘extraordinary achievement’.

Non-cirrhotic patients on a treatment regimen of Ganovo, which is produced by Chinese biotech company, Ascletis, demonstrated a cure rate of 97% within 12 weeks of intervention.

[caption id="attachment_45175" align="alignleft" width="88"] Wei-Lai[/caption]

Professor Wei Lai said, “This award showcased the outstanding recognition to Ganovo from the China Medical Association (CMA) and [key opinion leaders’] endorsement to China-driven self-innovation encouraged by the fast growth of the China bio-tech industry in recent years.

“As the first direct-acting anti-viral agent (DAA) developed and launched successfully by a domestic company in China, Ganovo has shown excellent efficacy, better safety and tolerability.

“I sincerely hope Ganovo will make a larger impact and significant contribution to the elimination of HCV disease in China.”

Ascletis focuses on the development and commercialisation of innovative drugs against hepatitis C virus (HCV), AIDS (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The company is currently running five programmes of antiviral drug discovery and development.

Hepatitis C is a virus that can infect the liver and, if untreated, can cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage to the liver over time, particularly because the disease is usually only detected once the organ is damaged.

The symptoms are muscle aches, high temperature, exhaustion, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and nausea.

The virus is spread via blood-to-blood contact, and in the UK, most hepatitis C infections occur in those who inject drugs or have done so in the past. Around half of those who inject drugs are thought to have the infection.

However, with modern treatments the infection can be cured and most sufferers will have a normal life expectancy. Around 215,000 people in the UK have hepatitis C.