AbbVie gets FDA approval for Hep C combination therapy

Last Updated: 2015-07-24

By Reuters Staff

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved AbbVie Inc's treatment that targets hepatitis C virus with the rarest genotype.

The treatment called Technivie combines ombitasvir, paritaprevir and ritonavir and is for use in combination with ribavirin for patients with HCV genotype 4 infections without scarring and poor liver function (cirrhosis), the regulator said on Friday.

The FDA said the combination therapy was the first to show safety and efficacy in treating HCV genotype 4 infections without interferon.

About 2.7 million Americans are infected with HCV, of which genotype 4 is among the least common, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The three drugs included in Technivie are also in Viekira Pak, AbbVie's treatment for HCV genotype 1 infection.

"Today's approval provides the first treatment option for patients with genotype 4 HCV infections without requiring use of interferon," Dr. Edward Cox of the FDA said in a statement.