Abbott Life reported results from a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of its all-oral regimen, showing that after 12 weeks of treatment, approximately 92% of patients with refractory genotype 1 (GT1) strains of HCV achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR) in addition to established liver disease, with SVR rising to 96% at week 12. The regimen included ABT-450/ritonavir with the NS5A inhibitor Ombitasvir (ABT-267) once daily, along with a 250 mg dose of the NS5B RNA polymerase inhibitor Dasabuvir twice daily. The company said it intends to move forward with filing a marketing submission for this mixture in the coming weeks. Merck Sharp & Dohme announced at the ILC interim results from an ongoing Phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of its two-drug combination of the NS3/4A protease inhibitor MK-5172 and the NS5A replication complex inhibitor MK-8742, with or without ribavirin, in patients with cirrhotic GT1 HCV. SVR rates are as high as 97% at week 12 in previously untreated HCV-infected patients, and exceed 90% even in patients with HCV co-infection with HIV, a particularly difficult group to treat. Merck Sharp & Dohme recently initiated a Phase 3 clinical research program for its combination drug. Finally, Gilead reported results from two Phase 2 trials designed to look at the effectiveness of its recently launched NS5B polymerase inhibitor Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) with ribavirin in treating patients with HCV in advanced liver disease. All three studies showed that the drug regimen suppressed viral levels in 60 to 95 percent of patients with good tolerability, solidifying clinical evidence that the product, which is poised to become a multi-billion dollar sales bombshell in its first year on the market, has been criticized for its steep price tag of $84,000 per 12-week course of treatment in the United States. Late last week, it was reported that Gilead had reached an agreement with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to make the drug available for just $900 for a course of treatment in countries such as Kenya, Mozambique, Myanmar and India.