Dive Brief:
- Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) has halted development of faldaprevir, which was being developed to be used in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C (HCV).
- The company has cited markedly changed conditions with respect to the competitive landscape for treatment of HCV.
- Competitors include Gilead's Sovaldi, which is the clear market leader, and AbbVie's three-in-one, oral, interferon-free combo drug that is current being evaluated by EMA under accelerated assessment.
Dive Insight:
Why turn your back on a $100 billion market with a global population of 170 million people with hepatitis C? According to a statement from BI: "The HCV treatment environment has significantly and rapidly evolved since the submission of the faldaprevir marketing applications to regulatory bodies around the world. There are now several new treatment options available for patients and additional all-oral options are expected to be approved in 2014."