BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

J&J acquires GSK's HCV compound GSK2336805

October 9, 2013 12:31 AM UTC

The Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) acquired HCV compound GSK2336805 from GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE:GSK; NYSE:GSK). The HCV NS5A protein inhibitor is in Phase II development. Janssen said it plans to start Phase II trials to evaluate interferon-free combinations of GSK2336805 with J&J's simeprevir ( TMC435) and TMC647055 to treat chronic HCV in adults with compensated liver disease, but declined to provide a timeline for the trials. The companies are not disclosing financial details.

TMC647055, a non-nucleoside HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitor, is in Phase II testing for HCV. Simeprevir is approved in Japan to treat HCV genotype 1 infection and is under review in the U.S. and EU for the indication. J&J has ex-Nordic rights to develop and commercialize the second-generation HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor from Medivir AB (SSE:MVIR B), which was down SEK0.25 to 104.50 on Tuesday. ...