Novartis quits hepatitis C
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Novartis has decided to throw in the towel over hepatitis C. "As part of an ongoing portfolio transformation, hepatitis C virus (HCV) will no longer be a strategic focus," the pharma major has confirmed. As a result, Novartis has terminated its licensing agreement with Enanta Pharmaceuticals for the development of EDP239, an NS5A inhibitor currently in Phase I development for the treatment of HCV. However, "Ongoing trials in HCV will not be affected by this decision and these trials will be completed as planned," it added.