Vertex's Hepatitis Drug Wins FDA Approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Vertex’s Incivek, also known as telaprevir, a potential blockbuster drug to treat chronic hepatitis C infection. Developed by Cambridge-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the drug is used for patients who have either not received interferon drug therapy for their infection or who have not responded adequately to other treatments. The safety and effectiveness of Incivek was evaluated in three Phase 3 clinical trials with about 2,250 adult patients.