HEPATITIS C

Hepatitis C (HCV) – the virus and market

Approximately 170 million people globally are infected with HCV, with 3 to 4 million new infections each year. HCV causes a chronic infection in ~80% of patients which over time may result in liver failure, hepato-cellular carcinoma, and ultimately death.  The only approved treatment regimen for HCV infection is a pegylated interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) combination, which is efficacious in about 50% of patients and is poorly tolerated.  The market opportunity for novel, higher potency direct acting antiviral agents such as those being developed by Arrow is significant, and is predicted to drive the growth of the HCV market from $2 billion currently to more than $10 billion in 2015.  Click here to view HCV Market expected growth graph.
Furthermore, it is widely expected that IFN and RBV will be superseded in the next 10 years by new small molecule antiviral combinations against the 3 key targets NS5A, NS3/4A protease and NS5B polymerase.  Click here to view diagram.

Arrow's HCV Hepatitis C programmes

Arrow has developed a diversified and competitive portfolio of multiple agents targeting all the major recognised direct-acting antiviral mechanisms.
Novel Antiviral Target: Arrow's leading HCV Hepatitis C programmes are focussed on a virus encoded protein called NS5A. Arrow has selected this target as:

• it is essential for virus RNA production,
• it lacks any homologue in the human genome and
• it is well conserved across HCV genotypes (in the region where our compounds bind).

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