AbbVie to Present Results from Studies in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients with HIV-1 Co-Infection (TURQUOISE-I) and Liver Transplant Recipients (CORAL-I) at The Liver Meeting® 2014

BOSTON, Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced results from studies in chronic hepatitis C patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) co-infection (TURQUOISE-I) and liver transplant recipients (CORAL-I) at The Liver Meeting®2014.

New, detailed results from part one of the Phase 2 portion of AbbVie's Phase 2/3 open-label study, TURQUOISE-I, showed patients co-infected with genotype 1 (GT1) hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV-1 receiving AbbVie's investigational treatment and ribavirin (RBV) for 12 weeks or 24 weeks achieved sustained virologic response rates 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR₁₂) of 93.5 percent (n=29/31) and 90.6 percent (n=29/32), respectively. These data were presented today, November 11, as a "Poster of Distinction."

"Patients living with both chronic HCV and HIV have been historically considered more difficult to treat," said Barry Bernstein, M.D., vice president, infectious disease development, AbbVie. "TURQUOISE-I is one of the few dedicated studies looking specifically at this population, who are seen in everyday clinical practice. These data will help us gain a better understanding of how our investigational treatment works in this subpopulation of genotype 1 patients." 

Additionally, results from the first cohort of AbbVie's ongoing open-label Phase 2 study, CORAL-I, were presented today during an oral session and published online in The New England Journal of Medicine. Results showed that non-cirrhotic liver transplant patients with recurrent GT1 HCV and new to treatment after transplantation achieved a SVR₁₂ rate of 97.1 percent (n=33/34) and a sustained virologic response rate 24 weeks post-treatment (SVR₂₄) of 97.1 percent (n=33/34) after 24 weeks of treatment.

"Recurrence of HCV infection in the new graft post-liver transplantation is universal in those that have the virus prior to transplantation, and can be associated with an aggressive disease course," explained Dr. Paul Kwo, medical director of liver transplantation and professor of medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine. "The high SVR rates seen in CORAL-I are promising and offer valuable information as we continue to assess this regimen within this specific patient population."

About TURQUOISE-I

TURQUOISE-I is an ongoing Phase 2/3, multi-center, randomized, open-label study evaluating the efficacy and safety of AbbVie's all-oral, interferon-free investigational treatment combining three direct-acting antivirals (ombitasvir/ABT-450/ritonavir and dasabuvir) with RBV (weight based dosing of 1000 mg or 1200 mg per day divided twice daily) for 12 or 24 weeks in adult patients with chronic GT1 HCV infection with or without compensated liver cirrhosis who are also infected with HIV-1. Study patients were either new to therapy (treatment naïve) or had failed previous treatment with pegylated interferon and RBV (treatment-experienced), had a stable immune status (CD4+ counts of ≥200 cells/mm³ or CD4+ % ≥14%) and had HIV-1 ribonucleic acid levels suppressed on a stable atazanavir- or raltegravir-based antiretroviral HIV therapy.

No patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events in either the 12-week or 24-week arm. In the 12-week arm, no virologic breakthroughs were observed while on treatment. One patient (3.3 percent) experienced post-treatment relapse after 12 weeks of treatment. In the 24-week treatment arm, one virologic breakthrough was observed (3.1 percent). Two patients in the 24-week treatment group were believed to have been re-infected post-treatment by a different strain of HCV than the original infection. The most commonly reported adverse events (greater than 15 percent in both treatment arms combined) were fatigue (47.6 percent), insomnia (19 percent), nausea (17.5 percent), and headache (15.9 percent). Elevations in total bilirubin were the most common laboratory abnormality (68.3 percent), were mainly composed of indirect bilirubin, and were not associated with aminotransferase elevations. Reductions in RBV dose because of anemia or reduced hemoglobin occurred in 9.5 percent of patients (n=6/63); all six patients achieved SVR₁₂.

About CORAL-I

CORAL-I is an ongoing Phase 2, multi-center, two-cohort, open-label study evaluating the efficacy and safety of AbbVie's all-oral, interferon-free investigational treatment combining three direct-acting antivirals (ombitasvir/ABT-450/ritonavir and dasabuvir) with RBV (RBV dosing left up to the discretion of the investigator) for 24 weeks in adult non-cirrhotic (screening biopsy Metavir score ≤F2) liver transplant recipients with recurrent chronic GT1 HCV infection. Patients in the study initiated therapy at least 12 months after receiving a liver transplant, had not received other HCV therapy since their liver transplant, and were on a stable immunosuppressant regimen based on either tacrolimus or cyclosporine, for which dose adjustments were advised. Enrollment in the second cohort of the study is ongoing.

One patient (2.9 percent) discontinued the study due to adverse events but still achieved SVR₁₂. Two patients experienced serious adverse events. The most commonly reported treatment-emergent adverse events (greater than 20 percent) were fatigue (50 percent), headache (44.1 percent), cough (32.4 percent), anemia (29.4 percent), diarrhea (26.5 percent), insomnia (26.5), asthenia (23.5 percent), nausea (23.5 percent), muscle spasms (20.6 percent), and rash (20.6 percent). No patients experienced virologic breakthrough while on treatment; however, one patient experienced post-treatment relapse. Nine patients had a grade 2 reduction in hemoglobin, and one patient had a grade 3 reduction. Five patients with hemoglobin decreases (anemia) received a medication to boost their red blood cell production at the investigator's discretion. No patients discontinued study drugs because of anemia, required a blood transfusion, or experienced a rejection of their transplanted liver.

About AbbVie's Investigational Three Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment

AbbVie's investigational treatment consists of the fixed-dose combination of ABT-450/ritonavir (150/100mg) co-formulated with ombitasvir (25mg), dosed once daily, and dasabuvir (250mg) dosed twice daily with or without ribavirin. The combination of three direct-acting antivirals, each with a distinct mechanism of action, targets and inhibits specific hepatitis C virus proteins in the viral replication process.

About AbbVie's HCV Clinical Development Program

The AbbVie HCV clinical development program is intended to advance scientific knowledge and clinical care by investigating interferon-free, all-oral treatments with and without ribavirin with the goal of achieving high sustained virologic response rates in as many patients as possible. AbbVie's multinational program using an investigational treatment combining three direct-acting antivirals includes more than 2,300 patients in over 25 countries. The program is designed to identify ways to maximize response rates in a broad spectrum of patient populations, including those with compensated cirrhosis, liver transplant recipients and those with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 co-infection.

ABT-450 was discovered during the ongoing collaboration between AbbVie and Enanta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENTA) for HCV protease inhibitors and regimens that include protease inhibitors. ABT-450 is being developed by AbbVie for use in combination with AbbVie's other investigational medicines for the treatment of hepatitis C.

AbbVie's New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Marketing Authorization Applications to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for its investigational, all-oral, interferon-free regimen for the treatment of adult patients with chronic genotype 1 HCV infection have been accepted and granted priority review by the FDA and validated and granted accelerated assessment by the EMA.

Safety Information for Ribavirin and Ritonavir

Ribavirin and ritonavir are not approved for the investigational use discussed above, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or efficacy of these products for this use.

There are special safety considerations when prescribing these drugs in approved populations.

Ritonavir must not be used with certain medications due to significant drug-drug interactions and in patients with known hypersensitivity to ritonavir or any of its excipients.

Ribavirin monotherapy is not effective for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus and must not be used alone for this use. Ribavirin causes significant teratogenic effects and must not be used in women who are pregnant or breast-feeding and in men whose female partners are pregnant. Ribavirin must not be used in patients with a history of severe pre-existing cardiac disease, severe hepatic dysfunction or decompensated cirrhosis of the liver, autoimmune hepatitis, hemoglobinopathies, or in combination with peginterferon alfa-2a in HIV/HCV co-infected patients with cirrhosis and Child-Pugh score ≥6.

See approved product labels for more information.

About AbbVie

AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world's most complex and serious diseases. AbbVie employs approximately 25,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. For further information on the company and its people, portfolio and commitments, please visit www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements.  AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.  Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, challenges to intellectual property, competition from other products, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, and changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry.  Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," in AbbVie's 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of Part II of AbbVie's second quarter 2014 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

SOURCE AbbVie

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