june08-3-1

DANA POINT, Calif. (AP) -- Valeant Pharmaceuticals International said Thursday that its mid-stage hepatitis C candidate taribavirin could replace a drug used in a common treatment regimen.

Ribavirin and peginterferon are considered the standard of care regimen for hepatitis C. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Global Healthcare Conference, Valeant Senior Vice President of Drug Development Harry Mansbach said that many patients, however, develop anemia upon taking ribavirin.

Mansbach said that because fewer cases of anemia have been associated with Valeant's taribavirin drug, it could be prescribed instead of ribavirin for hepatitis C patients at risk for anemia, such as those who also are HIV-positive.

Chief Executive J. Michael Pearson said, though, that the company won't move taribavirin into late-stage trials until a partner for the drug is found.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Schering-Plough Corp. also have hepatitis C drugs in mid-stage development. Both Vertex's telaprevir and Schering-Plough's boceprevir would be added to standard therapy.

Separately, Pearson said Valeant is eyeing an application for its late-stage epilepsy drug retigabine in the third quarter. He noted that following the release of positive late-stage data in May, partnership interest in the drug has accelerated.

Over the past six months, Valeant has been undergoing a strategic restructuring, which has included selling off some of its drugs, reducing staff and divesting some of its operations around the world.

On Tuesday, Valeant divested its Argentina commercial operations for an undisclosed sum. In January, it sold its hepatitis C drug Infergen to Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals LLC for about $91.3 million.

Tue Jun 10, 12:06 PM ET

One in four adults living in New York City has the virus that causes genital herpes, and among African-Americans the rate is almost 50 percent, official statistics show.

The sexually transmitted herpes simplex virus Type 2 is more prevalent in New York City, at 26 percent, than nationally, where 19 percent of adults, roughly one in five, are infected.

Far more women than men have the virus, 36 percent compared to 19, in the city mythologized in the television-turned-movie megahit "Sex in the City."

The study by New York City Department of Health also reveals that herpes is far more common among African-Americans -- 49 percent -- than whites (14 percent).

Most people infected with HSV-2 present no symptoms, but those that do experience periodic outbreaks of painful genital sores that heal in two to four weeks.

"Genital herpes alone will not cause serious problems for most people," said Julia Schillinger, director of surveillance for the Health Department's Bureau of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention and Control.

"But some people will have painful genital sores, and the infection fosters the spread of HIV," she said, urging New Yorkers to protect themselves and others.

"Using condoms consistently will help you avoid getting or spreading genital herpes," she said.

Valeant says hepatitis C drug causes less anemia

One in four New Yorkers has genital herpes