Merck to boost hepatitis C portfolio with US$3.85bn purchase of Idenix

摘要

Merck & Co has agreed to buy Idenix Pharmaceuticals for US$3.85bn in a transaction aimed at bolstering the next generation of treatments for hepatitis C. Idenix's main focus is on the development of oral antiviral drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The Cambridge, MA, US-based biopharmaceutical company has three HCV drugs in clinical development: two nucleotide prodrugs (IDX21437 and IDX21459) and an NS5A inhibitor (samatasvir). They are being evaluated for their potential inclusion in the development of all oral, pan-genotypic fixed-dose combination regimens.