This only mentions applications in treatment naive patients.  I wonder about
non-responders, relapsers and the Infereron intolerant due to wbc counts.
If I had money I would buy some of this, they are trading about 20% below
their 52 week high, which shows they have recovered from the crash.

..................................  read on
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Vertex news.  Stock report NASDAQ, Aquisition of ViroChem polymerase
inhibitors

http://moneycentral.msn.com/companyreport?symbol=VRTX

Vertex buys 2 hepatitis drugs for $376.8 million March 3, 2009 6:21 PM ET

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX) Stock Quote, $27.96 Close of Trading Fri.
Mar 07/09

(VRTX)Vertex Pharmaceuticals Strengthens HCV Drug Development Portfolio,
Adds Novel Polymerase Inhibitors to Shape New Combinations with Telaprevir

AP - CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Tuesday it
bought two hepatitis C drug candidates from ViroChem Pharma Inc., and plans
to test the drugs in combination with its own drug candidate telaprevir.

Vertex will pay ViroChem $100 million in cash for the drugs, along with 9.9
million shares of its stock. The company's shares closed at $27.96 Tuesday,
implying a value of $276.8 million for the stock and a total value of $376.8
million for the drugs.

Based on laboratory tests, Vertex said a combination of telaprevir and the
two drugs might be more effective against hepatitis C than telaprevir alone.
The company said it plans to start a clinical study combining telaprevir
with one of the ViroChem drugs in the second half of 2009.

Hepatitis C is a viral liver disease that causes inflammation and can cause
liver failure.

Vertex is conducting late stage trials of telaprevir, but the ViroChem drugs
are in early clinical development.

In aftermarket trading, Vertex shares were unchanged at $27.96. NASDAQ

  Last Price          27.77
  52 Week High   35.97
  52 Week Low    13.84
Volume 2.98 Mil
Average Daily Volume (13wk) 2.03 Mil
fyi  50 Day Moving Average    31.37
200 Day Moving Average      29.22
Volatility (beta)                         0.94
Classed as Moderate Buy

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

http://investors.vrtx.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=368695

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & LAVAL, Quebec, Mar 03, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Vertex
Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX), which is developing the
hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor telaprevir, will add two
polymerase inhibitors to its HCV drug development portfolio through a
definitive agreement to acquire privately-held ViroChem Pharma Inc. in a
stock and cash transaction. With the addition of these compounds, Vertex
will advance its strategy to pursue novel combinations of Specifically
Targeted Antiviral Therapies for hepatitis C (STAT-Cs) for the treatment of
HCV infection. Following completion of the transaction, Vertex will own
worldwide rights to ViroChem's HCV drug development portfolio, including
VCH-222 and VCH-759, which have demonstrated substantial reductions in
plasma HCV RNA when dosed as single agents and have been well-tolerated in
clinical studies to date. In particular, VCH-222 dosed as 750 mg twice daily
resulted in a median 3.7 log10 decrease in HCV RNA at the end of dosing in a
three-day viral kinetic study, representing the most substantial reduction
in viral load reported to date with an investigational HCV polymerase
inhibitor dosed as a single agent. Vertex expects to begin clinical
evaluation of novel combination regimens of its HCV protease inhibitor
telaprevir, currently in Phase 3 clinical development, in the second half of
2009. The transaction is subject to customary pre-closing conditions.

"This acquisition significantly strengthens our pipeline in hepatitis C by
bringing together Vertex's telaprevir, our HCV protease inhibitor in
registration studies, with the HCV non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitors
being developed by ViroChem," said Joshua Boger, Ph.D., Chief Executive
Officer of Vertex. "Through this acquisition, we're well positioned as a
leader in the development of HCV therapies. Our goal is to further advance
HCV care for patients through the creation of novel and highly potent STAT-C
combination regimens."

"This move expands Vertex's global presence in HCV and has the potential to
enhance the profile and lifecycle of our telaprevir-based combination
regimens. We believe it strengthens our ability to compete and stay at the
forefront in developing novel STAT-C combination regimens," added Kurt C.
Graves, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer and Head,
Strategic Development at Vertex. "We selected ViroChem's compounds following
careful evaluation of the STAT-C landscape for more than a year. Key data
has emerged that suggest that these compounds could uniquely complement
telaprevir and provide a foundation for shaping a potentially new treatment
paradigm."

ViroChem HCV Drug Development Portfolio

Two ViroChem HCV polymerase inhibitors, VCH-222 and VCH-759, are currently
in clinical development. ViroChem also has a preclinical program directed at
the discovery of novel HCV NS5a inhibitors. The status and profile of each
clinical compound is detailed below.

VCH-222: VCH-222 is an oral non-nucleoside inhibitor of the HCV NS5B
polymerase that recently completed a viral kinetic study in HCV patients. In
this study involving five treatment-naive genotype 1a and 1b HCV infected
patients, VCH-222 dosed as 750 mg twice daily resulted in a median 3.7 log10
decrease in HCV RNA - equivalent to a 5,000-fold reduction in virus in the
blood - at the end of three days of dosing. The results were consistent from
patient to patient, and across HCV genotype 1 subtypes, and represent the
most substantial reduction in viral load reported to date with an
investigational HCV polymerase inhibitor dosed as a single agent. In
clinical evaluations to date, VCH-222 has been well-tolerated, with no
serious adverse events observed. VCH-222 has completed 28-day non-clinical
toxicology studies in two species.

VCH-759: VCH-759 is an oral non-nucleoside inhibitor of the HCV NS5B
polymerase that has completed Phase 1b clinical development. In a Phase 1b
trial reported at a medical conference in 2007, VCH-759 dosed as 800 mg
three times daily showed a mean maximal 2.5 log10 reduction in HCV RNA and a
median 1.7 log10 reduction in HCV RNA at the end of 10 days. VCH-759 was
also well-tolerated with no serious adverse events observed in clinical
studies to date. VCH-759 has completed 28-day non-clinical toxicology
studies.

Future clinical plans: Vertex plans to conduct additional dose-ranging
studies of VCH-222 as a single agent and in combination with pegylated
interferon and ribavirin. Vertex plans to initiate a first clinical study
combining telaprevir with a ViroChem HCV polymerase inhibitor in the second
half of 2009. Data from in vitro HCV replicon studies suggest that VCH-222
and VCH-759 may provide synergistic or additive antiviral activity to the
HCV protease inhibitor telaprevir, thus creating the potential for a
non-cross resistant, complementary profile in exploratory clinical studies.

Terms of the Transaction

Under the terms of the agreement, which have been approved by the Boards of
Directors of both companies, ViroChem shareholders will receive $100 million
in cash and 9.9 million shares of Vertex common stock. The stock portion of
the consideration is subject to a collar, and the actual number of shares of
Vertex stock to be issued will be based on an average Vertex share price
prior to the acquisition closing, but per the agreement will not exceed 11.0
million shares. Vertex expects the shares issued in this transaction will be
immediately tradeable under a resale registration statement which Vertex
plans to file at the time of closing. Goldman, Sachs & Co. is acting as
exclusive financial advisor to Vertex.

Vertex HCV Portfolio

Vertex is developing telaprevir, one of the most advanced investigational
agents in development that specifically targets HCV. Telaprevir is being
evaluated in a broad Phase 3 registration program, which has enrolled more
than 2,200 genotype 1 HCV patients, including patients who have both failed
prior treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, as well as patients
who are naive to treatment. Vertex plans to file an NDA for telaprevir in
the second half of 2010 assuming successful completion of its ongoing Phase
3 program. In addition, Vertex is developing two other novel HCV protease
inhibitors, VX-813 and VX-985, currently in Phase 1 and preclinical
development respectively.

Vertex retains commercial rights to telaprevir in North America. Vertex and
Tibotec are collaborating to develop and commercialize telaprevir in Europe,
South America, Australia, the Middle East, and other countries. Vertex is
collaborating with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation to develop and
commercialize telaprevir in Japan and certain Far East countries. Vertex
retains worldwide rights to VX-813 and VX-985.

HCV Protease and Polymerase as Targets for New Drug Development

Since the identification and sequencing of the hepatitis C virus in 1989,
efforts to discover new drugs for HCV infection have focused on specific
antiviral targets, including the HCV NS3 protease and the HCV NS5B
polymerase. Several specifically targeted antiviral therapies for HCV (known
as STAT-Cs) have demonstrated promising clinical results, with the potential
for a significant advancement in HCV treatment and disease outcomes when
dosed in combination with the currently available treatment of pegylated
interferon and ribavirin. As investigational compounds targeting HCV
protease and polymerase have advanced in development, clinicians have
expressed interest in combining these investigational approaches, with the
goal of further optimizing HCV treatment regimens, including treatment of
certain hard to treat populations, by potentially increasing SVR rates,
decreasing the duration of HCV therapy and increasing the tolerability of
HCV treatment regimens.

About Vertex

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is a global biotechnology company
committed to the discovery and development of breakthrough small molecule
drugs for serious diseases. The Company's strategy is to commercialize its
products both independently and in collaboration with major pharmaceutical
companies. Vertex's product pipeline is focused on viral diseases, cystic
fibrosis, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and pain. Vertex
co-discovered the HIV protease inhibitor, Lexiva, with GlaxoSmithKline.

Lexiva is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.

Vertex's press releases are available at www.vrtx.com.

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