February 2006 Cover
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Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. have applied to the Food and Drug Administration for approval of a new drug to treat chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)
infection. The drug, telbivudine, inhibits a different step in HBV's formation of DNA than lamivudine, the drug used for comparison in ongoing trials.
In November, the companies released clinical trial data that suggested telbivudine was more effective than standard lamivudine treatment. In an ongoing comparison trial among
1,367 patients in 20 countries, telbivudine suppresses HBV more than lamivudine and also shows a lower rate of treatment failure.
Editor's Note: from the Boston Globe
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