An official of Aliso Viejo-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International said Thursday that its taribavirin hepatitis C drug candidate could replace longtime flagship ribavirin.
Taribavirin, which Valeant said causes less anemia than a combination of ribavirin and pegylated interferon, eventually could be prescribed instead of ribavirin.
That was the word from Harry Mansbach, the drug maker’s senior vice president of development, at Goldman Sachs & Co.’s global healthcare conference in Dana Point.
Ribavirin long has been a cash cow for Valeant but has faded with generic competition in recent years.
Because fewer cases of anemia have been associated with taribavirin, it could also be used for HIV patients who have the liver disease, Mansbach said.
Even with that, Valeant is not going to move taribavirin to late-stage trials until it finds a development partner, Chief Executive J. Michael Pearson said.
Taribavirin has posted mixed results in its earlier clinical trials, and some analysts have been wary of its prospects.
Pearson also said Valeant’s looking at filing a regulatory approval application for retigabine, a late-state epilepsy drug candidate, in the third quarter.
Partnership interest in the drug has accelerated following the release of favorable clinical data last month, he said.
Meanwhile, Valeant’s restructuring continued earlier this week, when the drug maker sold its Argentine operations for an undisclosed price.
