Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that multiple abstracts related to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor telaprevir and the HCV polymerase inhibitor VX-222 were accepted for presentation at the 45th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Vienna, Austria, April 14-18, 2010. The accepted abstracts include an oral presentation of results from Study 107, which evaluated telaprevir in HCV patients with well-characterized prior response to HCV therapy, including those with prior null response, partial response, viral breakthrough or relapse. Additionally, an abstract related to results from a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of VX-222 in treatment-naive genotype 1 HCV patients was accepted for oral presentation. Telaprevir Oral Presentations: Study 107: 'SVR with Telaprevir, Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin in HCV Patients with Well-Characterized Prior Null Response, Partial Response, Viral Breakthrough or Relapse After PR'; April 15, 2010, 3:45 - 4:00 p.m. CET. Study C208: 'On-treatment Response-guided Therapy with Telaprevir Q8h or Q12h Combined with Peginterferon Alfa-2a or Peginterferon Alfa-2b and Ribavirin in Treatment-naive Genotype 1 Hepatitis C (STUDY C208)'; April 16, 2010, 4:45 - 5:00 p.m. CET. Study C209: 'Activity of Telaprevir Alone or in Combination with Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin in Treatment-naive Genotype 2 and 3 Hepatitis-C Patients: Final Results of Study C209'; April 16, 2010. 5:00 - 5:15 p.m. CET. VX-222 Oral Presentation: 'Safety and Antiviral Activity of the HCV Non-Nucleoside Polymerase Inhibitor VX-222 in Treatment-Naive Genotype 1 HCV-Infected Patients'; April 15 2010, 5:00 -- 5:15 p.m. CET. Telaprevir is an investigational oral inhibitor of HCV protease, an enzyme essential for viral replication, and is being evaluated as part of a global Phase 3 registration program in more than 2,200 treatment-naive and treatment-failure patients. Vertex is collaborating with Tibotec and Mitsubishi to develop telaprevir. Vertex retains commercial rights to telaprevir in North America. Tibotec has rights to commercialize telaprevir in Europe, South America, Australia, the Middle East and other countries. Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma has rights to commercialize telaprevir in Japan and certain Far East countries. VX-222 is an investigational oral non-nucleoside inhibitor of HCV NS5B polymerase. Vertex added VX-222 to its development pipeline as part of the acquisition of ViroChem Pharma Inc. in March 2009. Vertex retains worldwide commercial rights to VX-222. Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is found in the blood of people with the disease. HCV, a serious public health concern affecting 3.2 million individuals in the United States, is spread through direct contact with the blood of infected people.1 Though many people with HCV infection may not experience symptoms, others may have symptoms such as jaundice, abdominal pain, fatigue and fever.1 Chronic HCV significantly increases a person's risk for developing long-term infection, chronic liver disease, cirrhosis or death.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Presents at 14th Annual FUSE: Design & Culture // Brand Identity & Package Design, Apr-14-2010 through Apr-16-2010. Venue: Trump International Hotel & Tower, 401 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, United States. Speakers: Kevin Brubacher, Senior Director.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is initiating the first clinical trial evaluating Vertex's lead investigational hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, telaprevir, dosed in combination with the company's lead investigational HCV polymerase inhibitor, VX-222. This Phase 2 trial will evaluate sustained viral response rates (SVR; defined as undetectable HCV RNA 24 weeks after the end of treatment) using multiple 12-week response-guided regimens of telaprevir/VX-222-based combination therapy, including two-drug regimens that contain only telaprevir and VX-222. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 100 treatment-naive genotype 1 HCV patients at multiple clinical trial sites, the majority of which will be located in the U.S. Enrollment is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2010. Vertex expects to obtain interim clinical data, including safety and viral kinetic data, from this trial in the second half of 2010. The randomized, parallel-group, dose-ranging trial announced is designed to evaluate the safety and antiviral activity, including SVR, of multiple 12-week response-guided telaprevir/VX-222-based combination regimens. The primary endpoint of this trial is to assess safety and tolerability of telaprevir/VX-222-based combination therapy. A secondary endpoint of this study is to assess the proportion of patients in each study arm who achieve SVR. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 100 treatment-naive genotype 1 HCV patients at approximately 20 clinical trial sites, predominantly in the U.S. The trial will utilize response-guided criteria aimed at evaluating shorter-duration treatment regimens. All patients, regardless of treatment group, whose HCV RNA levels are undetectable (<10 IU/mL) at week 2 and week 8 of treatment, will stop their assigned treatment at week 12. Patients who do not meet these criteria will complete their assigned treatment and at week 12, those in the dual-drug regimen will receive follow-on therapy of 24 weeks of pegylated-interferon (peg-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV), for a total of 36 weeks of treatment. Patients in the quad-therapy regimens who do not meet these criteria at week 12 will receive an additional 12 weeks of follow-on therapy with peg-IFN and RBV for a total of 24 weeks of peg-IFN and RBV therapy. The interim results of Part A of this trial are consistent with the findings from a previously-conducted three-day, five-patient viral kinetic study of VX-222. Part B of the study, which will be initiated shortly will evaluate 12 weeks of VX-222 dosed in combination with peg-IFN and RBV in treatment-naive HCV patients>