Positive Phase III results for PEG-intron

Enzon (ENZN) partner Schering-Plough (SGP) reported results of a 1,219-patient Phase III trial showing that PEG-Intron pegylated interferon alfa-2b, which uses ENZN's polyethylene glycol (PEG) technology, produced significantly better responses than Intron A recombinant interferon alfa-2b injection in treating hepatitis C infection. After 48 weeks of treatment plus a 24-week follow-up, 25 percent of patients receiving a once-weekly dose of PEG-Intron showed a sustained viral response versus 12 percent of patients receiving three million international units (MIU) of Intron A three times a week (p<=0.001). PEG-Intron also was shown to be as safe as Intron A, ENZN said. Data will be presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver meeting in May. Preliminary Phase II results of combination therapy with PEG-Intron and Rebetol ribavirin capsules also will be presented.

Despite the news, ENZN was down $0.875 to $32.125 on Tuesday. Also at the meeting, data will be presented on Roche's Pegasys PEGylated 40K interferon alfa-2a to treat hepatitis C. In a 531-patient open-label Phase III study comparing Pegasys to interferon alfa-2b, sustained virologic responses at week 72 were 39 and 19 percent, respectively, for Pegasys and interferon alfa-2b groups. ...