Sunday, October 31, 2010

Etisalat named ‘Best Telecom Operator’ in MENASA region

Abu Dhabi; UAE, Sunday, October 31st 2010 [ME NewsWire]:
  • Wins four top honours at SAMENA Telecommunication Council Awards
  • Mohammad Omran honoured as ‘Best Telecom Operator Leader’
  • Awards highlight Etisalat’s competencies and reach in the world’s fastest growing regions.

Etisalat, the leading telecom operator with a presence in 18 countries, has been named as the ‘Best Telecom Operator’ in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region, a wide geographic market that covers nearly 30 per cent of the world population.

Trumping competition from fast-growing telecom markets with several operators, Etisalat won four top laurels at the recent SAMENA Telecommunications Council Awards that honoured the best in telecom industry services, across the geographies including the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

Selected following an intensive performance-based evaluation of telecom operators across the region, Etisalat also won the awards for Best Customer Experience Provider of the Year and Best FMC Operator of the Year, while the company’s chairman, Mohammad Omran, was selected as Best Telecom Operator Leader of the Year. The award recognised his pioneering efforts in leading Etisalat’s achievements regionally and globally, and for his efforts in significantly strengthening the telecom sector across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The SAMENA Awards were distributed at a ceremony held in Morocco recently as part of the ‘Converge to Casablanca 2010’ conference which highlighted the importance of the convergence of industry leaders to discuss key technology areas.

Bocar A. Ba, President of SAMENA Telecommunications Council said, “Etisalat has always been an active participant and keen supporter of various efforts in promoting collaborative solutions and knowledge-sharing within the telecommunications industry.  As a leading operator, Etisalat has been at the forefront of a number of innovative solutions and services, and has contributed enormously to the growth and advancement of the sector locally and regionally. It is indeed great to see the organization winning four SAMENA awards in recognition of their constant efforts to further develop and promote the regional telecommunications industry and provide seamless services to their customers. I would also like to extend my warm congratulations to the Chairman on his selection as the ’Best Outstanding Telecom Operator Leader’ of the year.”

SAMENA Telecommunications Council is a multi-continent telecom consortium that aims to be the leading provider of telecom innovations in its member regions as well as a facilitator for collaboration and knowledge-sharing between regional telecom entities.

The SAMENA Awards demonstrate Etisalat’s ongoing efforts in the development of the telecommunications sector in the UAE and beyond, in terms of infrastructure and advanced telecommunications, which are critical foundations for economic success. The awards recognize Etisalat’s innovations and strategies in customer service which focus on applying the latest systems and emphasis on achieving the highest standards in customer satisfaction.

As a leader in offering the latest services to all residents of the UAE, Etisalat covers 100% of GSM network coverage across UAE and 99% 3G coverage of UAE's populated areas.

Etisalat operates in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, servicing over 107 million customers out of a total population of approximately 2 billion people.

Etisalat is a major investor in Thuraya, one of the world’s leading satellite geo-mobile communication systems covering approximately two thirds of the planet’s surface. The company is also the largest carrier for voice data in the Middle East, and has the largest roaming network in the region with 600 agreements that cover more than 190 countries worldwide.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Iyad AlZoubi,
Senior Manager International Media Relations, Etisalat
Tel: 02 6182173
Fax: 02 6334448

ialzoubi@etisalat.ae

The Nielsen Company Reports Third Quarter 2010 Results

NEW YORK, Sunday, October 31st 2010 [ME NewsWire]:
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Nielsen Company B.V., a leading global information and measurement company, today announced its financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2010.

Reported revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2010 were $1,289 million, an increase of 5% over reported revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2009 of $1,227 million. Excluding the impact of currency fluctuations*, revenues for the three months increased 7%.

Reported operating income for the three months ended September 30, 2010 was $201 million compared to an operating loss of $326 million for the three months ended September 30, 2009. The 2010 results included $11 million of charges relating to restructuring costs. The 2009 results included $524 million of charges relating to the September 2009 impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets as well as restructuring. Adjusting for these items and excluding the impact of currency fluctuations*, operating income increased 10%.

Reported revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 were $3,755 million, an increase of 7% over reported revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 of $3,511 million. Excluding the impact of currency fluctuations*, revenues for the nine months increased 6%.

Reported operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 was $515 million compared to an operating loss of $42 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009. The 2010 results included $33 million of charges relating to restructuring costs. The 2009 results included $533 million of charges relating to the September 2009 impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets as well as restructuring. Adjusting for these items, operating income, on a constant currency basis*, increased 10%.

Covenant earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and other adjustments permitted under our senior secured credit facilities (“Covenant EBITDA”) was $1,415 million for the twelve months ended September 30, 2010. Covenant EBITDA is a non – GAAP measure. See “Covenant EBITDA” below for a reconciliation of Income from continuing operations of $191 million for the twelve months ended September 30, 2010 to Covenant EBITDA.

As of September 30, 2010, total debt was $8,571 million, and cash balances were $420 million. Capital expenditures were $226 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2010, compared with $204 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

Conference Call and Webcast
The Nielsen Company will hold an earnings conference call, hosted by The Nielsen Company’s Chief Financial Officer Brian J. West, at 9:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (ET) on October 28, 2010. The call will be audio-webcast live at http://en-us.nielsen.com/main/about/investor_relations and an archive will be available on the website after the call. In addition, a link to the company’s quarterly financial report on Form 10-Q has been posted at http://en-us.nielsen.com/main/about/investor_relations.

Forward-looking Statements
This news release includes information that could constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as ‘expect’, ‘should’, ‘could’, ‘shall’ and similar expressions. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and events could differ materially from what presently is expected. Factors leading thereto may include without limitations general economic conditions, conditions in the markets Nielsen is engaged in, behavior of customers, suppliers and competitors, technological developments, as well as legal and regulatory rules affecting Nielsen’s business. This list of factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We assume no obligation to update any written or oral forward-looking statement made by us or on our behalf as a result of new information, future events, or other factors.

About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. The privately held company has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in Diemen, the Netherlands and New York, USA. For more information, please visit www.nielsen.com.

* We evaluate our results of operations on both an as reported and a constant currency basis. The constant currency presentation, which is a non-GAAP measure, excludes the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. We believe providing constant currency information provides valuable supplemental information regarding our results of operations, consistent with how we evaluate our performance. We calculate constant currency percentages by converting our prior-period local currency financial results using the current period exchange rates and comparing these adjusted amounts to our current period reported results.

Results of Operations – Three Months Ended September 30, 2010 and 2009
The following table sets forth, the amounts included in our Condensed Statements of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2010 and 2009:

 
Three Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
(IN MILLIONS)

2010
 
2009
Revenues

$
1,289

$
1,227
Cost of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below

 
521


521
Selling, general and administrative expenses exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below


414


365
Depreciation and amortization


142


143
Impairment of goodwill and other intangibles


-


527
Restructuring costs/(credits)

 
11

 
(3)
Operating income/(loss)

 
201

 
(326)
Interest income


1


2
Interest expense


(169)


(168)
Loss on derivative instruments


(5)


(21)
Foreign currency exchange transaction losses, net

 
(5)

 
(21)
Income /(loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, and equity in net income/(loss) of affiliates


23


(534)
(Provision)/benefit for income taxes


(2)


99
Equity in net income/(loss) of affiliates

 
1

 
(33)
Income/(loss) from continuing operations


22


(468)
Discontinued operations, net of tax

 
(11)

 
(58)
Net income/(loss)


11


(526)
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests


-


1
Net income/(loss) attributable to The Nielsen Company B.V.

$
11

$
(527)

Results of Operations – Nine Months Ended September 30, 2010 and 2009
The following table sets forth, the amounts included in our Condensed Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 and 2009:

 
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
(IN MILLIONS)

2010
 
2009
Revenues

$
3,755

$
3,511
Cost of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below


1,569


1,484
Selling, general and administrative expenses exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below


1,219


1,127
Depreciation and amortization


419


409
Impairment of goodwill and other intangibles


-


527
Restructuring costs

 
33

 
6
Operating income/(loss)

 
515

 
(42)
Interest income


3


6
Interest expense


(491)


(480)
Loss on derivative instruments


(17)


(54)
Foreign currency exchange transaction gains, net


140


10
Other Income/(expense), net

 
9

 
(11)
Income/(loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, and equity in net income/(loss) of affiliates


159


(571)
(Provision)/benefit for income taxes


(14)


124
Equity in net income/(loss) of affiliates

 
1

 
(25)
Income/(loss) from continuing operations


146


(472)
Discontinued operations, net of tax

 
(19)

 
(58)
Net income/(loss)


127


(530)
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests


1


2
Net income/(loss) attributable to The Nielsen Company B.V.

$
126

$
(532)

Covenant EBITDA
The following is a reconciliation of our loss from continuing operations, for the twelve months ended September 30, 2010, to Covenant EBITDA as defined below per our senior secured credit facilities:
(IN MILLIONS)
 
Covenant EBITDA
Twelve Months
ended
September 30, 2010
(unaudited)
Income from continuing operations
 
$
191
Interest expense, net


651
Benefit for income taxes


(57)
Depreciation and amortization

 
567
EBITDA


1,352
Non-cash charges


18
Unusual or non-recurring items


(80)
Restructuring charges and business optimization costs


102
Sponsor monitoring fees


12
Other

 
11
Covenant EBITDA

$
1,415

Note: Covenant EBITDA is a non-generally accepted accounting principle (“GAAP”) measure used to determine our compliance with certain covenants contained in our senior secured credit facilities. Covenant EBITDA is defined in our senior secured credit facility as net income (loss) from continuing operations, as adjusted for the items summarized in the table above. Covenant EBITDA is not a presentation made in accordance with GAAP, and our use of the term Covenant EBITDA varies from others in our industry due to the potential inconsistencies in the method of calculation and differences due to items subject to interpretation. Covenant EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income/(loss), operating income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance or cash flows as measures of liquidity. Covenant EBITDA has important limitations as an analytical tool and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. For example, Covenant EBITDA:
  • excludes income tax payments;
  • does not reflect any cash capital expenditure requirements;
  • does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
  • does not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt;
  • does not reflect management fees that are payable to the Sponsors;
  • does not reflect the impact of earnings or charges resulting from matters that we and the lenders under our new senior secured credit facility may consider not to be indicative of our ongoing operations.
In particular, the definition of Covenant EBITDA allows us to add back certain non-cash and non-recurring charges that are deducted in determining net income. However, these are expenses that may recur, vary greatly and are difficult to predict. They can represent the effect of long-term strategies as opposed to short-term results. In addition, certain of these expenses can represent a reduction of cash that could be used for other corporate purposes.

Because of these limitations we rely primarily on our GAAP results. However, we believe that the inclusion of supplementary adjustments to EBITDA applied in presenting Covenant EBITDA is appropriate to provide additional information to investors to demonstrate compliance with our financing covenants.

For media enquiries, please contact:
The Nielsen Company B.V.
Investor Relations:
Rich Nelson,
+1-646-654-7761


Media Relations:
Ed Dandridge,

+1-646-654-8656

Celgene Reports Record Third Quarter 2010 Operating and Financial Results

SUMMIT, N.J., Sunday, October 31st 2010 [ME NewsWire]:
Record Third Quarter Results Driven By Share Gains Across Major Markets
REVLIMID® Third Quarter Global Net Product Sales Increased 43% Y/Y
VIDAZA® Third Quarter Global Net Product Sales Increased 37% Y/Y
Non-GAAP Third Quarter Diluted Earnings Per Share Increased 34% Y/Y

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG):

2010 Third Quarter Financial Results Year-Over-Year
  • Non-GAAP Total Revenue Increased 31 Percent to $908 Million; GAAP Total Revenue $910 Million
  • Global REVLIMID Net Product Sales Increased 43 Percent to $641 Million
  • Global VIDAZA Net Product Sales Increased 37 Percent to $141 Million
  • Global THALOMID® Net Product Sales of $94 Million
  • Non-GAAP Operating Income Increased 40 Percent to $409 Million; GAAP Operating Income $311 Million
  • Non-GAAP Net Income Increased 35 Percent to $350 Million; GAAP Net Income $281 Million
  • Non-GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share Increased 34 Percent to $0.75; GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share $0.60

2010 Financial Outlook Update (Includes Impact of Acquisition of Abraxis BioScience)
  • Total Revenue Expected to Increase Approximately 34 Percent Year-Over-Year to Approximately $3.60 Billion, Up From a Previous Range of $3.40 to $3.45 Billion
  • REVLIMID Net Product Sales Anticipated to Increase Approximately 44 Percent Year-Over-Year to Approximately $2.45 Billion, Up From a Previous Range of $2.30 to $2.35 Billion
  • Non-GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share Expected to Increase Approximately 34 Percent Year-Over-Year to a Range of $2.78 to $2.80, Up From a Previous Range of $2.65 to $2.70

Recent Developments and Highlights
  • Completed Acquisition of Abraxis BioScience
  • Completed $1.25 Billion Debut Debt Offering
  • Announced Appointment of Jacqualyn A. Fouse as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  • Initiated Launch of REVLIMID® in Japan for Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
  • Initiated PALACE 1, PALACE 2, and PALACE 3, Phase III Trials Evaluating Apremilast in Psoriatic Arthritis, and ESTEEM 1, a Phase III Trial Evaluating Apremilast in Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis
  • Brought Infringement Action to Enforce our REVLIMID Patents Against Natco Pharma Ltd. for Filing an Abbreviated New Drug Application With a Paragraph IV Certification for Lenalidomide
  • ABRAXANE® Pharmaceutical Composition and Method Claims Patent Issued on October 26, 2010, expiring in 2024
  • Initiated MF-002, a Phase III Trial Evaluating Pomalidomide in Myelofibrosis
  • Initiated AZA-AML-001, a Phase III Trial Evaluating VIDAZA® in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia
  • Initiated Phase II Trial for PDA-001 Cellular Therapy in Crohn’s Disease

2010 Selected Corporate Objectives
  • Expand Celgene Product Approvals, Reimbursements, and Global Market Share
  • Submit REVLIMID Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (NDMM) Regulatory Filing with European Medicines Agency
  • Complete Enrollment of MM-020, a Phase III Trial Evaluating REVLIMID and Low-Dose Dexamethasone Versus Melphalan, Prednisone, and Thalidomide in NDMM
  • Submit ISTODAX® Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma Regulatory Filing with Food and Drug Administration
  • Advance More Than 25 Phase III and Pivotal Clinical Trials and 17 Preclinical Programs Addressing More Than 30 Serious and Debilitating Diseases
  • Initiate ESTEEM 2, a Phase III Trial Evaluating Apremilast in Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis, and PALACE 4, a Phase III Trial Evaluating Apremilast in Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Initiate Phase II Trial for Apremilast in Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Initiate Phase II Trial for PDA-001 Cellular Therapy in Ischemic Stroke; Initiate Phase I Trial in Multiple Sclerosis
  • Initiate Phase II Trial for JNK CC-930 in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Discoid Lupus Erythematosus

Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) announced non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) net income of $349.9 million, or non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.75 for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. Non-GAAP net income for the third quarter of 2009 was $259.8 million or non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.56. Based on U.S. GAAP, Celgene reported net income of $281.2 million, or diluted earnings per share of $0.60 for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. GAAP net income for the third quarter of 2009 was $216.8 million, or diluted earnings per share of $0.46.

Celgene posted non-GAAP net income of $967.7 million or non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $2.07 during the first nine months of 2010 as compared to non-GAAP net income of $681.0 million and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $1.46 in 2009. On a GAAP basis, Celgene reported net income of $670.9 million, or diluted earnings per share of $1.44 for the first nine months of 2010, compared to GAAP net income of $522.5 million, or diluted earnings per share of $1.12 in 2009.

“Our third quarter results reflect outstanding operational execution by our global team,” said Bob Hugin, Celgene’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our expanding portfolio of innovative therapies in oncology and immune-inflammatory diseases further positions us for sustained growth and value creation in the near and long term.”

Product Sales Performance
Non-GAAP total revenue was a record $908.1 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, an increase of 31 percent from 2009. GAAP total revenue was $910.1 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. The increase in total revenue was driven by global market share gains and increased duration of therapy of REVLIMID® and VIDAZA®. Net sales of REVLIMID were $641.3 million, an increase of 43 percent over the same period in 2009. VIDAZA® net sales were $141.4 million, an increase of 37 percent from 2009. Global THALOMID® (inclusive of Thalidomide Celgene® and Thalidomide Pharmion®) sales were $94.2 million, a 14 percent decrease from 2009. Revenue from Focalin® and the Ritalin® family of drugs totaled $22.6 million for the third quarter of 2010 compared to $25.8 million over the same period in 2009.

For the first nine months of 2010, non-GAAP total revenue was a record $2.547 billion, an increase of 33 percent year-over-year. GAAP total revenue was $2.554 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2010. REVLIMID net sales for the first nine months of 2010 were $1.759 billion, an increase of 45 percent over $1.209 billion for the same period in 2009. VIDAZA net sales for the first nine months of 2010 were $393.6 million, an increase of 46 percent over the same period in 2009. THALOMID net sales for the first nine months of 2010 were $296.0 million, a decrease of 10 percent from the same period in 2009. Revenue from Focalin and the Ritalin family of drugs totaled $79.3 million for the first nine months of 2010, an increase of 3 percent over the same period in 2009.

Research and Development
For the third quarter of 2010, non-GAAP R&D expenses, which exclude upfront collaboration payments and share-based employee compensation expense, were $232.3 million compared to $178.2 million for the third quarter of 2009. These R&D expenditures continue to support ongoing clinical progress in multiple proprietary development programs for REVLIMID, pomalidomide, and other compounds; VIDAZA; ISTODAX®; amrubicin; apremilast and our oral anti-inflammatory compounds; our kinase inhibitor programs; our activin inhibitor program with ACE-011; and cellular therapy programs. On a GAAP basis, R&D expenses were $253.5 million for the third quarter of 2010 and $193.4 million in the same period in 2009.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Celgene Corporation
Jacqualyn A. Fouse, 908-673-9956
Sr. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Tim Smith, 908-673-9951
Director, Investor Relations

Boehringer Ingelheim Oral Hepatitis C Protease Inhibitor and Polymerase Inhibitor Combination Shows Rapid Viral Response without Use of Pegylated Interferon

New, phase Ib trial data evaluating investigational oral hepatitis C compounds presented at AASLD 2010 Annual Meeting
 
BOSTON & INGELHEIM, Germany, Saturday, October 30th 2010 [ME NewsWire]:
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Boehringer Ingelheim announced results from a Phase Ib study, SOUND-C1, that showed the combination of two oral hepatitis C virus (HCV) compounds, the protease inhibitor BI 201335 and the polymerase inhibitor BI 207127, with ribavirin reduced viral load to the lower limit of quantifiable levels in HCV treatment-naïve patients. The regimen did not include interferon through the first 28 days of treatment. These data are being presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) 2010 Liver Meeting in Boston, MA.

(Poster LB-7) New protease-polymerase inhibitor combination resulted in 73-100% rapid virological responses without pegylated interferon
In this randomised open-label trial, 32 treatment-naïve genotype-1 HCV patients received a combination of BI 207127 in either 400mg or 600mg doses three times a day (TID) with BI 201335 120mg once daily (QD) together with ribavirin (RBV) (1000/1200mg daily in two doses) for 28 days. All patients had a rapid and sharp decline in HCV viral load during the first two days, followed by a slower second phase decline. In the lower and higher dose groups, 73 and 100% of patients achieved a rapid virological response (i.e. had a HCV RNA below thelower limit of quantification after 4 weeks of treatment). One patient experienced a viral breakthrough (increase by >1 LOG10 from nadir during treatment) and one other experienced a 0.7 LOG10 increase in viral load. Both patients were in the lower dose group of BI 207127 and were patients with a high baseline viral load. On day 29, all patients were switched to treatment with BI 201335 and PegIFN/RBV for an additional 44 weeks per the defined study protocol, and will be followed to evaluate sustained virological response.

“These early data suggest that there is the potential for the combination of oral anti-HCV therapies to reduce the viral load in a more tolerable, interferon-sparing regimen. The current standard-of-care, PegIFN/RBV, is challenging for HCV patients due to side effects that impact treatment adherence and has suboptimal response rates,” said Stefan Zeuzem, MD, Chief of the Department of Medicine and Professor of Medicine at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany and lead investigator of the study. “An interferon-sparing regimen could provide an important treatment option for patients with chronic hepatitis C.”

Proportion of patients with viral load <25 IU/ml
 
 
 
Day 8
 
 
 
Day 15
 
 
 
Day 22
 
 
 
Day 29
 
 

400mg TID BI 207127 + BI 201335 + RBV


4/15



6/15



10/15



11/15



600mg TID BI 207127 + BI 201335 + RBV


3/17



14/17



17/17



17/17




The PegIFN sparing treatment was well tolerated. Investigators reported that the most common adverse events observed in the study were mild gastro-intestinal effects (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting), rash or photosensitivity. Laboratory parameters did not indicate any relevant changes from baseline, except for a continuous drop in amino alanine transferase (ALT) in all patients, a decrease of hemoglobin (median -1.7 and -2.6 g/dL) and an increase of unconjugated bilirubin (median +9.8 and +11.5 umol/L) similar to reported results from earlier BI 201335 trials. There were no serious or severe adverse events and no discontinuations due to adverse events reported in the study during treatment with BI 207127 and BI 201335. A phase IIb trial testing different dose regimens of this combination with longer durations is planned to evaluate sustained virological response rates.

Additional studies to be presented at AASLD
  • Virological response and safety of 4 weeks treatment with the protease inhibitor BI 201335 combined with 48 weeks of peginterferon alpha 2a and ribavirin for treatment of HCV GT-1 patients who failed peginterferon / ribavirin
    (Poster 804. T. Berg, et al. Sun, October 31 - 8:00 AM. Hynes: Exhibit Hall C)
  • Genotypic and phenotypic analysis of the NS5B polymerase region from viral isolates of HCV chronically infected patients treated with BI 207127 for 5-days monotherapy.
    (Poster 1862. L. Lagace, et al. Tue, November 2 - 7:00 AM. Hynes: Exhibit Hall C)
  • The Liver Kp Corrected Inhibitory Quotient (LCIQ): A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model for direct-acting HCV antivirals
    (Poster 1866. J. Duan, et al. Tue, 2 November 2 – 7:00 AM. Hynes: Exhibit Hall C)

About Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
HCV is an infectious disease of the liver and is a leading cause of chronic liver disease and liver transplant. The number of individuals chronically infected with HCV globally has been estimated at 170 million, with 3–4 million new infections occurring each year. Only about 20–45% of patients clear the virus in the acute phase. Of the remaining chronically infected patients, 20% will develop cirrhosis within a mean of 20 years. The mortality rate after cirrhosis has developed is 2-5% per year. End-stage liver disease due to HCV infection currently represents the major indication for liver transplantation in the Western world.

About Boehringer Ingelheim in Virology
Boehringer Ingelheim has more than 6,900 scientists working in cross disciplinary teams within our global R&D network in six large therapeutic areas, including virology. In addition to its ongoing research program for HCV, Boehringer Ingelheim has a long-standing history in virology drug development, including compounds for the treatment of HIV (VIRAMUNE® (nevirapine) tablets/oral solution, the first approved HIV non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and Aptivus®, an HIV protease inhibitor). The company has a well established research centre in Laval, Canada, dedicated to virology research since the early 1990’s, and is committed to developing new therapies for virological diseases with a high unmet medical need.

Boehringer Ingelheim in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
BI 201335 is an investigational oral HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor, discovered from Boehringer Ingelheim’s own research and development, which has completed clinical trials through Phase IIb (SILEN-C studies). This Phase II program supports the investigation of BI 201335 in Phase III trials. BI 207127 is an NS5B RNA-dependent polymerase inhibitor that has completed Phase I clinical trials. Planning is currently underway to begin Phase II trials of BI 207127 with BI 201335 in interferon-sparing regimens both with and without ribavirin.

Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 142 affiliates in 50 countries and more than 41,500 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2009, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 12.7 billion euro (US $17.7 billion) while spending 21% of net sales in its largest business segment, Prescription Medicines, on research and development.

For more information, please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

For media enquiries, please contact:
Julia Meyer-Kleinmann
Director Corporate Communications
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
55216 Ingelheim/Germany
Phone: + 49 - 6132 – 77 8271
Fax: + 49 - 6132 – 77 70 77
E-mail: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com