Under the terms of the agreement, Schering-Plough will supply Pegetron (peginterferon alfa-2b powder for solution plus ribavirin 200mg capsules) as well as providing certain technical and laboratory support. In addition, Schering-Plough will benefit from limited periods of exclusivity for data review of clinical trial results and for the negotiation of a license agreement.
Pegetron will be used in combination with MX-3253 (celgosivir) in clinical studies of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who have not responded to previous therapies.
MX-3253 is an alpha-glucosidase I inhibitor and is currently the only oral drug in development that acts through host-directed glycosylation. In preclinical studies, celgosivir has demonstrated strong synergy with interferon-alpha plus ribavirin and has the potential to be included as part of a combination approach to therapy to improve efficacy.
Celgosivir is currently being evaluated in a phase II monotherapy study in chronic HCV patients in Canada.