AbbVie reports more all-oral HCV data, earnings

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) reported 4Q13 and 2013 earnings on Friday along with data from the remaining four trials in the Phase III program evaluating the pharma's all-oral regimen of three antivirals -- ABT-450 boosted with AbbVie's Norvir ritonavir, ABT-267 and ABT-333 -- with and without ribavirin to treat HCV genotype 1 infection. In the trials, the regimen with and without ribavirin produced a sustained virologic response (SVR) 12 weeks after the end of treatment in 90-100% of patients. The trials enrolled treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection with compensated liver cirrhosis; treatment-naïve patients with genotype 1a or 1b infection and no evidence of liver cirrhosis; and treatment-experienced patients with genotype 1b infection and no evidence of liver cirrhosis.

Enanta Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTA) jumped $4.31 (13%) to $36.58 on Friday on the data. ABT-450, an HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor, is the lead HCV protease inhibitor discovered by Enanta and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT), which spun out its pharmaceutical business into AbbVie. ...