Abbott, Enanta hope hepatitis C drug will boost market

ABBOTT PARK, Ill. The market for hepatitis C drugs could get a boost if a clinical trial program entering the middle stage proves successful to the end.

Abbott and Enanta Pharmaceuticals announced Tuesday the beginning of phase 2 trials of three hepatitis C antiviral drugs. The drugs include ABT-450, which works by inhibiting the enzyme protease, and two inhibitors of the polymerase enzyme, ABT-333 and ABT-072. Abbott and Enanta discovered ABT-450 together, while Abbott discovered the other two itself.

“Our scientists are working diligently to advance the treatment of hepatitis C, which is a serious global epidemic that affects 170 million people worldwide,” Abbott SVP global pharmaceutical research and development John Leonard said. “As a global leader in the development of antiviral therapies, we are focused on building an industry-leading pipeline for the treatment of HCV and are well-positioned to explore multiple potent and new classes of HCV therapies that hold promise for patients.”