Staff in regulatory affairs jobs for Merck Sharpe and Dohme (MSD) have been able to secure European approval for the innovative new hepatitis C therapy Victrelis.
The European Commission has given the go-ahead for the drug to be utilised among adult chronic type 1 hepatitis C patients with compensated liver disease, in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.
Victrelis is described by MSD as being the first in a new medicine class known as HCV protease inhibitors, which block the activity of a key enzyme to prevent the virus from replicating itself.
The approval was based on positive data from phase III clinical trials conducted among a total of around 1,500 patients, in which the drug demonstrated its safety and efficacy.
Bruno Strigini, president of MSD in Europe and Canada, said: "Merck will work closely with local authorities across the EU to make Victrelis available to patients as quickly as possible."
Earlier this month, MSD announced that it will be allying with two US universities to conduct clinical research into HIV.