Atea Pharmaceuticals(US:AVIR) Globenewswireยท2025-05-07 11:00Core Insights - Atea Pharmaceuticals presented results from its Phase 2 study of bemnifosbuvir (BEM) and ruzasvir (RZR) for hepatitis C treatment, achieving a 98% sustained virologic response rate at 12 weeks post-treatment with an 8-week regimen [2][5][8] - The study demonstrated the regimen's safety, low risk of drug-drug interactions, and effectiveness in patients with hepatic or renal impairment [3][9][12] Phase 2 Study Results - The Phase 2 study included 275 patients, showing a 98% SVR12 in treatment-adherent patients and 95% in all patients regardless of adherence [2][8] - Among patients with compensated cirrhosis, the SVR12 rate was 88%, with all achieving undetectable viral levels by the end of the 8-week treatment [6][8] Safety and Tolerability - The combination of BEM and RZR was generally safe and well-tolerated, with treatment-emergent adverse events reported in 43% of patients, mostly mild to moderate [8] - No serious adverse events or treatment discontinuations were linked to the study drugs [8] Drug-Drug Interaction Studies - Phase 1 studies indicated a low risk of drug-drug interactions when BEM/RZR was co-administered with standard HIV treatments [3][10] - BEM was found to be safe for patients with hepatic and renal impairments without the need for dose adjustments [9][12] Future Developments - Atea plans to conduct two Phase 3 trials, C-BEYOND and C-FORWARD, to further evaluate the BEM/RZR regimen against existing treatments [16][18] - The primary endpoint for these trials is achieving HCV RNA levels below the lower limit of quantitation at 24 weeks [17] Market Context - An estimated 2.4 to 4.0 million people in the US are living with chronic HCV, with a significant portion also taking concomitant medications [7][15] - The ongoing need for effective HCV treatments is underscored by the fact that annual diagnoses outpace cure rates [7][15]