Achillion gains on HCV data, pipeline update

Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHN) gained $0.81 to $10.30 on Thursday after reporting that ACH-3102 showed enough anti-HCV activity in a Phase Ib trial that it began a Phase II trial of the compound as part of an all-oral, interferon-free regimen. The open-label Phase II trial is evaluating 12 weeks of the second-generation HCV NS5A protein inhibitor once daily in combination with ribavirin in up to 16 treatment-naive patients with HCV genotype 1b infection. Achillion expects initial rapid virologic response (RVR) data in 4Q12.

In the Phase Ib trial in 14 patients with HCV genotype 1a infection, the highest single dose of ACH-3102 led to a mean maximum HCV RNA reduction from baseline of 3.93 log10 IU/mL compared to 0.78 log10 IU/mL for placebo. Mean viral load was 2.76 log10 IU/mL below baseline at day eight following the single dose. ...