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Federal health officials say a highly anticipated drug to treat hepatitis C made by Merck appears to cure more patients in less time than established drugs that have been used for 20 years. The agency has questions about how the drug should be combined with older medicines for the maximum effect.
The US Food and Drug Administration posted its review of Merck & Co. Inc.'s boceprevir ahead of a public meeting this week to consider whether to approve the medication. The meeting brings to a head more than 15 years of research to find a better therapy for a virus that infects about 3.2 million people in the United States.
FDA scientists said the two studies submitted by Merck showed patients had undetectable virus levels six months after completing boceprevir treatment. - (Sapa/AP, April 2011)
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Hepatitis, Viral
Treating Hepatitis with diet
