Telaprevir

Last updated
Telaprevir
Telaprevir structure.svg
Clinical data
Trade names Incivek, Incivo
AHFS/Drugs.com Consumer Drug Information
MedlinePlus a611038
License data
Routes of
administration
Oral [1]
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Protein binding 59–76% [2]
Metabolism extensive hepatic
Elimination half-life 9–11 hours [2]
Excretion 90% (bile), 9% (exhaled air), 1% (urine)
Identifiers
  • (1S,3aR,6aS)-2-[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-Cyclohexyl-2-(pyrazine-2-carbonylamino)acetyl]amino]-3,3-dimethylbutanoyl]-N-[(3S)-1-(cyclopropylamino)-1,2-dioxohexan-3-yl]-3,3a,4,5,6,6a-hexahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyrrole-1-carboxamide
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
NIAID ChemDB
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard 100.129.857 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Chemical and physical data
Formula C36H53N7O6
Molar mass 679.863 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • CCC[C@@H](C(=O)C(=O)NC1CC1)NC(=O)[C@@H]2[C@H]3CCC[C@H]3CN2C(=O)[C@H](C(C)(C)C)NC(=O)[C@H](C4CCCCC4)NC(=O)c5cnccn5

  • C0CC0NC(=O)C(=O)[C@H](CCC)NC(=O)[C@@H]1[C@H]2CCC[C@H]2CN1C(=O)[C@H](C(C)(C)C)NC(=O)[C@H](C3CCCCC3)NC(=O)c4nccnc4
  • InChI=1S/C36H53N7O6/c1-5-10-25(29(44)34(48)39-23-15-16-23)40-33(47)28-24-14-9-13-22(24)20-43(28)35(49)30(36(2,3)4)42-32(46)27(21-11-7-6-8-12-21)41-31(45)26-19-37-17-18-38-26/h17-19,21-25,27-28,30H,5-16,20H2,1-4H3,(H,39,48)(H,40,47)(H,41,45)(H,42,46)/t22-,24-,25-,27-,28-,30+/m0/s1 Yes check.svgY
  • Key:BBAWEDCPNXPBQM-GDEBMMAJSA-N Yes check.svgY
 X mark.svgNYes check.svgY  (what is this?)    (verify)

Telaprevir (VX-950), marketed under the brand names Incivek and Incivo, is a pharmaceutical drug for the treatment of hepatitis C co-developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson. It is a member of a class of antiviral drugs known as protease inhibitors. [3] Specifically, telaprevir inhibits the hepatitis C viral enzyme NS3/4A serine protease. [4] Telaprevir is only indicated for use against hepatitis C genotype 1 viral infections and has not been proven to be safe or effective when used for other genotypes of the virus. The standard therapy of pegylated interferon and ribavirin is less effective than telaprevir in those with genotype 1.

Contents

Clinical trials and approvals

In a randomized controlled trial (PROVE3) of patients in whom standard treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin had failed, repeat treatment with the addition of telaprevir was more likely to have a sustained virological response (SVR) than repeat treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin alone. [5] In patients who received peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin for a year, the addition of telaprevir for 24 weeks achieved an SVR of 53% compared to 14% in patients who did not receive telaprevir. In that study, shorted treatment with only three months of telaprevir and six months of treatment peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin achieved an SVR of 51%. In a second randomized controlled trial (REALIZE) of patients who had previously relapsed or had only a partial response, rates of SVR were higher in patients treated with telaprevir (83% to 88%) compared to 24% in controls. [6] In a third trial (ADVANCE) for previously untreated patients, [7] patients taking telaprevir had a SVR (69% to 75%) versus 44% in the control group.

On April 28, 2011, the FDA Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee voted 18–0 to recommend approval telaprevir for people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C. The committee reviewed clinical trial data (including findings from the phase-III ADVANCE, ILLUMINATE, and REALIZE studies) showing that combining telaprevir with pegylated interferon and ribavirin produced a higher cure rate—and in less time—than standard therapy alone. This improvement is most notable for hard-to-treat patients including those with HCV genotype 1, people with liver cirrhosis, and those who did not respond to a prior course of interferon-based therapy. Merck's boceprevir, also a new antihepatitis C drug, was given a positive recommendation by the same committee, on the previous day. [8] Telaprevir was fully approved for use in the United States in May 2011. [9]

The hypothesis that host genetics play an essential role in the ability not only to clear acute hepatitis C infection, but also to achieve sustained virologic response (SVR) to interferon-based therapy has been proved with the recent discovery of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 19. Variants in the minor allele rs8099917 and the proximate polymorphism rs12979860, 3 kb upstream of the interleukin (IL)-28B gene, which encodes the endogenous antiviral cytokine IFN-λ, are associated with SVR and with natural viral clearance. The disparate frequencies of these alleles in ethnic groups worldwide may well explain differing rates of SVR among them. The test for one of these polymorphisms is now commercially available and can serve as a powerful predictor of a patient's chance of achieving SVR. Perhaps more importantly, the test can help the clinician personally tailor the duration and even the type of therapy most appropriate for an individual patient, newly or chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus.[ citation needed ]

Adverse effects

The most common adverse effect is rash. Grade 3 adverse events (mainly anemia and leukopenia/neutropenia) were more frequent in the telaprevir groups than in the control group (37% vs. 22%). After receiving reports of serious skin reactions, some fatal, in patients taking the hepatitis C drug Incivek (telaprevir) in combination with drugs peginterferon alfa and ribavirin (Incivek combination treatment), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added a black box warning to the label of this Vertex product. On December 19, 2012, Vertex announced it would add a boxed warning of possible side effects on the US labels of telaprevir, following "reports of a small number of fatal skin reactions in patients who continued to receive Incivek combination therapy after a serious skin reaction was identified.” The FDA reported two people had died from serious skin reactions caused by the Incivek combination treatment and a total of 112 patients had developed serious skin reactions of two different types. [10]

Availability

The cost of telaprevir-based triple therapy for hepatitis C is $189,000 per sustained viral response. [11]

On August 12, 2014, Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced that it would discontinue production of its brand of telaprevir, Incivek, due to falling demand for the drug caused by competition from newer hepatitis C treatments. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hepatitis C virus</span> Species of virus

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a small, enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae. The hepatitis C virus is the cause of hepatitis C and some cancers such as liver cancer and lymphomas in humans.

Pegylated interferon alfa-2a, sold under the brand name Pegasys among others, is medication used to treat hepatitis C and hepatitis B. For hepatitis C it is typically used together with ribavirin and cure rates are between 24 and 92%. For hepatitis B it may be used alone. It is given by injection under the skin.

Pegylated interferon alfa-2b is a drug used to treat melanoma, as an adjuvant therapy to surgery. Also used to treat hepatitis C, it is no longer recommended due to poor efficacy and adverse side-effects. Subcutaneous injection is the preferred delivery method.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boceprevir</span> Chemical compound

Boceprevir is a protease inhibitor used to treat hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1. It binds to the HCV nonstructural protein 3 active site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sofosbuvir</span> Chemical compound

Sofosbuvir, sold under the brand name Sovaldi among others, is a medication used to treat hepatitis C. It is taken by mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simeprevir</span> Chemical compound

Simeprevir, sold under the brand name Olysio among others, is a medication used in combination with other medications for the treatment of hepatitis C. It is specifically used for hepatitis C genotype 1 and 4. Medications it is used with include sofosbuvir or ribavirin and peginterferon-alfa. Cure rates are in 80s to 90s percent. It may be used in those who also have HIV/AIDS. It is taken by mouth once daily for typically 12 weeks.

Ledipasvir is a drug for the treatment of hepatitis C that was developed by Gilead Sciences. After completing Phase III clinical trials, on February 10, 2014, Gilead filed for U.S. approval of a ledipasvir/sofosbuvir fixed-dose combination tablet for genotype 1 hepatitis C. The ledipasvir/sofosbuvir combination is a direct-acting antiviral agent that interferes with HCV replication and can be used to treat patients with genotypes 1a or 1b without PEG-interferon or ribavirin.

Ombitasvir is an antiviral drug for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by AbbVie. In the United States, it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in combination with paritaprevir, ritonavir and dasabuvir in the product Viekira Pak for the treatment of HCV genotype 1, and with paritaprevir and ritonavir in the product Technivie for the treatment of HCV genotype 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dasabuvir</span> Chemical compound

Dasabuvir, sold under the brand name Exviera, is an antiviral medication for the treatment of hepatitis C. It is often used together with the combination medication ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir specifically for hepatitis C virus (HCV) type 1. Ribavirin may also additionally be used. These combinations result in a cure in more than 90% of people. It is taken by mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beclabuvir</span> Chemical compound

Beclabuvir is an antiviral drug for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection that has been studied in clinical trials. In February 2017, Bristol-Myers Squibb began sponsoring a post-marketing trial of beclabuvir, in combination with asunaprevir and daclatasvir, to study the combination's safety profile with regard to liver function. From February 2014 to November 2016, a phase II clinical trial was conducted on the combination of asunaprevir/daclatasvir/beclabuvir on patients infected with both HIV and HCV. Furthermore, a recent meta-analysis of six published six clinical trials showed high response rates in HCV genotype 1-infected patients treated with daclatasvir, asunaprevir, and beclabuvir irrespective of ribavirin use, prior interferon-based therapy, or restriction on noncirrhotic patients, IL28B genotype, or baseline resistance-associated variants

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grazoprevir</span> Drug approved for the treatment of hepatitis C

Grazoprevir is a drug approved for the treatment of hepatitis C. It was developed by Merck and completed Phase III trials, used in combination with the NS5A replication complex inhibitor elbasvir under the trade name Zepatier, either with or without ribavirin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elbasvir</span> Chemical compound

Elbasvir is a drug approved by the FDA in January 2016 for the treatment of hepatitis C. It was developed by Merck and completed Phase III trials, used in combination with the NS3/4A protease inhibitor grazoprevir under the trade name Zepatier, either with or without ribavirin.

Elbasvir/grazoprevir, sold under the brand name Zepatier, is a fixed-dose combination for the treatment of hepatitis C, containing elbasvir and grazoprevir. It is used to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1 or 4 infection in both treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery and development of NS5A inhibitors</span>

Nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitors are direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) that target viral proteins, and their development was a culmination of increased understanding of the viral life cycle combined with advances in drug discovery technology. However, their mechanism of action is complex and not fully understood. NS5A inhibitors were the focus of much attention when they emerged as a part of the first curative treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in 2014. Favorable characteristics have been introduced through varied structural changes, and structural similarities between NS5A inhibitors that are clinically approved are readily apparent. Despite the recent introduction of numerous new antiviral drugs, resistance is still a concern and these inhibitors are therefore always used in combination with other drugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celgosivir</span> Drug for hep-C

Celgosivir, in development by Migenix for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, is an oral prodrug of the natural product castanospermine that inhibits alpha-glucosidase I, an enzyme that plays a critical role in viral maturation by initiating the processing of the N-linked oligosaccharides of viral envelope glycoproteins. Celgosivir is well absorbed in vitro and in vivo, and is rapidly converted to castanospermine. Celgosivir has a novel mechanism of action, and demonstrates broad antiviral activity in vitro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mericitabine</span> Chemical compound

Mericitabine (RG-7128) is an antiviral drug, a deoxycytidine analog. It was developed as a treatment for hepatitis C, acting as a NS5B RNA polymerase inhibitor, but while it showed a good safety profile in clinical trials, it was not sufficiently effective to be used as a stand-alone agent. However mericitabine has been shown to boost the efficacy of other antiviral drugs when used alongside them, and as most modern treatment regimens for hepatitis C use a combination therapy of several antiviral drugs, clinical trials have continued to see if it can form a part of a clinically useful drug treatment program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narlaprevir</span> Chemical compound

Narlaprevir, is an inhibitor of NS3/4A serine protease, intended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C caused by genotype 1 virus in combination with other antiviral drugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir</span> Combination drug

Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P), sold under the brand names Mavyret and Maviret, is a fixed-dose combination medication used to treat hepatitis C. It contains glecaprevir and pibrentasvir. It works against all six types of hepatitis C. At twelve weeks following treatment between 81% and 100% of people have no evidence of hepatitis C. It is taken once a day by mouth with food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NS5B inhibitor</span> Class of pharmaceutical drugs

Non-structural protein 5B (NS5B) inhibitors are a class of direct-acting antivirals widely used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Depending on site of action and chemical composition, NS5B inhibitors may be categorized into three classes—nucleoside active site inhibitors (NIs), non-nucleoside allosteric inhibitors, and pyrophosphate analogues. Subsequently, all three classes are then subclassified. All inhibit RNA synthesis by NS5B but at different stages/sites resulting in inability of viral RNA replication. Expression of direct-acting NS5B inhibitors does not take place in cells that are not infected by hepatitis C virus, which seems to be beneficial for this class of drugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interferon Lambda 4</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon lambda 4 is one of the most recently discovered human genes and the newest addition to the interferon lambda protein family. This gene encodes the IFNL4 protein, which is involved in immune response to viral infection.

References

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  2. 1 2 Kiser JJ, Burton JR, Anderson PL, Everson GT (May 2012). "Review and management of drug interactions with boceprevir and telaprevir". Hepatology. 55 (5): 1620–1628. doi:10.1002/hep.25653. PMC   3345276 . PMID   22331658.
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  7. Jacobson IM, McHutchison JG, Dusheiko G, Di Bisceglie AM, Reddy KR, Bzowej NH, et al. (June 2011). "Telaprevir for previously untreated chronic hepatitis C virus infection". The New England Journal of Medicine. 364 (25): 2405–2416. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1012912. hdl: 2318/97842 . PMID   21696307.
  8. Highleyman (3 May 2011). "FDA recommends approval for Telaprevir and Boceprevir". hivandhepatitis.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  9. Hitt E (23 May 2011). "FDA Approves Telaprevir for HCV". Medcape.
  10. Staff, Boston.com. December 19, 2012. Vertex updates label of hepatitis C drug after reports of a ‘small number of fatal skin reactions’
  11. Tucker ME (November 13, 2013). "Costs for Hepatitis C Treatment Skyrocket" . Medscape Medical News.
  12. Silverman E (August 12, 2014). "From Riches to Rags: Vertex Discontinues Incivek as Sales Evaporate". Pharmalot (Blog). Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved August 13, 2014.