Six weeks of Achillion’s ACH-3102 and Gilead Sciences’ Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) cured 100 percent of a small trial of people with genotype 1 of hepatitis C virus (HCV). The Phase II study of NS5A inhibitor ACH-3102 and the analog polymerase inhibitor Sovaldi included 12 people with genotype 1: seven with genotype 1a and five with genotype 1b.

Following six weeks of treatment, all the participants achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12, considered a cure).

The combination therapy was well tolerated, leading to no serious adverse side effects, no discontinuations because of side effects, and no clinical significant laboratory or electrocardiogram abnormalities.

“We are currently preparing to initiate our SPARTA Phase II program, which evaluates short treatment durations with our once-daily regimens of ACH-3102 and ACH-3422, with or without sovaprevir, for treatment-naive genotype 1 HCV patients,” David Apelian, MD, PhD, executive vice president of clinical development and chief medical officer at Achillion.